Shiraha
by NoOneInteresting
Summary: Long lost childhood acquaintances, jealousy, and a 10yr old boy with psychic abilities... who said married life would run smoothly? But when children start disappearing from the village, Gaara uncovers a terrifying secret... GaaraxOC
1. Maigo

Summary: Long lost childhood acquaintances, jealousy, and a mysterious 10 year old boy with psychic abilities… who said married life would run smoothly

But when children start disappearing from the village, Gaara uncovers a cruel and terrifying secret that could shake the very foundations of the shinobi world forever…

It's never easy being the Kazekage.

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Note: Shiraha (which means 'White Feather' in Japanese) is the sequel to my other story 'No More Running'.

A little advice on the chapter titles: These will be in Japanese, but there will be a translation at the bottom of each chapter. I don't speak Japanese, so if you do and you spot any mistakes with my feeble attempts at the Japanese language, please let me know.

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Shiraha

Chapter One: Maigo

In the silence of early morning, the rickety sound of wheels on cobbled roads could be heard; but no one was listening. Premature rays of sunlight began to weaken the depth of the night sky; but no one saw. All that was left was one lone star in the highest canopy of the heavens. It shone brightly, but soon even this star would fade as if it had never existed at all. Daybreak was securing its victory.

The aforementioned rickety wheels belonged to a horse-drawn trailer. The trailer was unmarked and humble, just as inconspicuous as any other trailer of its kind… but what was IN the trailer was anything but ordinary…

Children. Maybe fifty of them. Crammed inside this cart, like cattle being taken to slaughter. The noisy ones had been rendered unconscious. The others clung to each other for comfort, too frightened for words. They didn't know why they had been kidnapped like this, or what fate lay in front of them. The trailer that was their prison just continued to carry them from Suna to a sinister, unknown destination.

At the same time, a small boy was crouching out of sight, hidden behind a low wall. He heard the sound as the trailer set off down the road in the opposite direction. It was a welcome sound. That meant they had not yet realised he was missing. Even so, the boy willed himself not to breathe. He had to stay silent, at least until the trailer was out of sight. He knew what fate awaited those captive children. He winced at the memories and prayed that the other children would perhaps find peace. Maybe they would find a way to escape, like him. He couldn't help them now, he had to look out for himself. They would have to cope alone. He cursed his own cowardice. He wanted to save them, but he was too frightened, and too weak. He hated himself for it.

The boy cautiously pressed his face to the corner of the wall to peep into the distance. The trailer was gone. Long repressed tears began to sting at his eyes sharply. He was free. No more torture. No more pain. No more experiments. The boy broke down in tears, overpowered by ragged sobs that made him feel as if his very spirit was being pulled apart. His eyes had remained dry for so long, but now that he was safe from the beatings the floodgates had opened, and he couldn't stop crying. It felt good to cry, to let it all out. Is this what freedom feels like? he wondered. He marvelled at the thought. He was allowed to cry now. It was alien to him.

He raked small, boney hands through his shocking platinum blonde hair as he wept. Shifting uneasily, he shakily struggled to his feet. Once he had reintroduced himself with the sensation of his feet on the ground, he began to run. He pelted through the empty streets of this early morning ghost town. Flocks of sitting birds scattered as he sprinted past rapidly, despite his limp. The cool air quenched his stuffy lungs deliciously and he breathed it deep.

When he could finally run no more he spotted a dim, derelict alleyway. He snaked his way through it, meandering around the bags of rubbish and empty boxes left lying in this forgotten passageway. He settled into a small space between two large plastic bags, probably filled with all manner of household waste. But to this child, they were the most luxurious cushions he had ever experienced. He snuggled into one of them and rested his pounding head. The sky was getting lighter by the second. The boy held out his fragile arms in front of him. They shook violently and his fingernails were blue. No matter how skilled he was at calming his mind with rational thoughts, his body always betrayed him. He tucked the arms into his armpits tenderly, as if trying to comfort and shelter them. He curled up into the tightest ball his body could adopt and squeezed his eyes shut. He could feel more tears coming, and he would let them come. He wanted to treasure this long lost sensation of crying. Freedom, he thought to himself. This is what it feels like to be free.

--

Naoko's sleepy eyes fluttered open. Another morning. She focused on the wall clock. After a few seconds, the early morning fuzziness faded from her eyesight and she was able to read the time. 5:30am. Well, it may be morning, but there's no way in hell I'm getting up THIS early, she thought. She settled back into her sleeping husband's arms and pressed her face into the warm, soft skin of his chest before closing her eyes again. If she was lucky, she might be able to get another half-hour of much needed sleep.

However, her hopes were in vain. The sound of floorboards creaking outside the bedroom door roused her from slumber and she snapped her eyes open again. There was another creak. Suddenly, the bedroom door burst open and something small darted into the room with a loud "Squeeeeee!!". It clambered onto the bed and jumped straight on the sleeping Gaara.

Gaara let out a loud "oooff!" and snapped his eyes wide open to look at the thing that had woken him so abruptly. It was his hyperactive son, Kizuki.

As usual, the chubby little two-year-old giggled in delight at his father's surprised reaction. He began shrieking with laughter and bouncing excitedly on his father's stomach.

"Dadadadadadada!"

Naoko pressed her face into the pillow to stifle her laughter. Sabaku no Gaara- Suna's strongest shinobi- never failed to fall victim to the ambush of a two year old little boy.

"Dadadadadadada!" Kizuki shrieked, still bouncing.

"Urghn… ok, Kizuki, ok… Daddy's awake" Gaara groaned.

Sand flowed out of the gourd that was propped in the corner of the room and wrapped itself around the child's ankle, lifting him into the air upside down. The infant squealed happily.

"The attack came a little earlier than usual this morning" Naoko chuckled, smoothing back Gaara's messy crimson hair. He glanced at the time. 5:35am.

"Hn". Damn right it was early.

The sand lowered little Kizuki to the ground. The now red-faced child staggered giddily before tumbling over. He shook off the dizziness and stood up. His mother watched adoringly as he toddled over to her, beaming. He wrapped his chubby little fingers around her arm and pulled.

"Mama! Come on, Mama!" he yelled, with his limited infant speech.

Naoko winced at the loud, shrill squeals of her over-zealous son. "Sshh Kizuki, you'll wake baby Ai"

"But Mama! Get uuuup!! Pwease!" the little boy whined, pouting.

Gaara let out a long sigh as he stretched. He might as well get up now; there wasn't much chance of him getting back to sleep. He stood up drowsily.

"I'll go" he offered, grabbing his son around the waist and tucking him under his arm like a parcel, before carrying him off to the living room.

Naoko remained in bed for a little while longer, running her hands over the now empty space beside her, and the warmth Gaara had left behind. She took in the view of the bedroom. The earliest edges of the morning sun peeped in through the windows, lending a hazy golden aura to the beige walls. Upon said walls were infinite sheets of paper, decorated with multicoloured scribbles- Kizuki's artwork, which he dedicated enthusiastically to his parents. One illustration depicted Naoko as a huge round blob- Kizuki's unflattering portrayal of his mother when she was pregnant with his little sister. Beside the huge round blob was another, taller blob, topped with a scribble of red. Gaara. But unlike the drawing of Kizuki's mother, the drawing of Kizuki's father had arms. There were numerous brown splodges around him, which Naoko assumed was sand. Another drawing exhibited some clumsy calligraphy, documenting Kizuki's tireless quest to learn how to write his name. There were another twenty-two drawings identical to this. Every picture was as messy and scruffy as the one before it, and every picture was equally treasured by the artist's parents… which explains why the pictures took up most of the visible wall space.

Naoko smiled and closed her eyes again, but she promptly smacked herself in the head with the palm of her hand to wake herself up. She needed to get up and get the kids ready, and make breakfast. Tempting as it was, she couldn't let Gaara do all the work. He already had enough on his plate regarding his overly stressful job.

She dragged her dormant body out of bed and made her way to the baby's room to check up on Ai. Sure enough, Ai was awake (Kizuki's outburst had made sure of that), and she was quietly gazing up at ceiling, blowing spit bubbles like babies do. Naoko gently scooped the delicate baby into her arms.

"Good morning, Ai" she whispered, kissing her daughter's forehead before carrying her off to the kitchen for breakfast.

Gaara was seated at the dining table, quietly skim-reading some documents while Kizuki sat on the kitchen floor, gazing up at his father and chewing the ear off a teddy bear. Naoko placed the baby in the lovely pink and blue high chair that Temari and Shikamaru had bought when Ai was born. Gaara had already set the kettle to boil.

"Come on Kizuki sweetie. Breakfast time!" Naoko chirped, turning to her son. Kizuki stared at her, as if calculating something in his mind.

"Cookies!" he declared loudly.

Naoko shook her head. " No, Kizuki, you can't eat cookies for breakfast, its unhealthy"

Gaara stayed perfectly still, like an animal trying to avoid being noticed by a predator. But the betrayal was inevitable.

"Daddy did!" Kizuki said with wide, puppy dog eyes, pointing an accusative finger at his father.

Naoko's eyes fell to the tabletop in front of Gaara, spotting an incriminating dusting of crumbs. Gaara turned to his giggling son.

"Traitor" he hissed.

Naoko folded her arms. "Well, if daddy keeps eating cookies for breakfast, he'll get fat" she announced.

Kizuki found this vastly entertaining and threw his little arms up in the air with laughter.

"Daddy fatty!"

"Oh no" Gaara sighed, unimpressed at his new nickname. He wouldn't hear the end of this for a long time.

"Daddy fatty daddy fatty!"

Naoko burst into fits of laughter at her son, and Gaara shot his wife a stern glare, which just made it funnier. She gripped the kitchen worktop in an effort to steady herself. Baby Ai just sat serenely in her high chair, watching the situation inquisitively. Her eyes moved between her incapacitated mother and her big brother, before settling on her father. Before long she went back to quietly blowing spit bubbles. Afterall, young babies have very short attention spans.

Naoko recovered from her hysterics, but not for very long. She shakily placed a cup of coffee on the table in front of her husband.

"Your coffee, daddy fatty" she said, and with that she broke down again.

Kizuki, having realised he'd come up with something funny, started laughing with his mother.

"Naoko" Gaara chastised.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry" Naoko said as she turned back to preparing breakfast, sneakily winking at her son and giving him the thumbs up. She busied herself about the kitchen, quietly laughing to herself every so often.

After the boys had eaten breakfast, Gaara went to get Kizuki dressed while Naoko fed Ai her bottle. Naoko gazed around the kitchen absent-mindedly. She and Gaara had moved out of their residence in the council building shortly before Kizuki's birth, because it was really too small to raise a family there. Plus, being Suna's shinobi nerve-centre, the council building was no place for small children to grow up in. Their present house was quite large and spacious, a couple of streets away from the council building. It was just perfect.

Gaara and Naoko had been married for four years. Initially, the Council of Suna had not been happy with Gaara's choice of bride; they saw Naoko as a 'gesuonna', or 'a woman of low rank'. It was unheard of for a Kazekage to marry a commoner from another land. Usually, the bride was of superior social standing- for example, a woman of noble birth. It was also common for a Kazekage to wed the daughter of a Lord from another shinobi nation for political reasons. Even a woman from a prestigious or lauded clan would have been acceptable. But Naoko was just an ordinary girl from Kumogakure. Hell, she wasn't even a ninja! The Council didn't like it one bit, but they eventually came round to the idea. Gaara had made his decision and it was obvious that he would have no one else as his wife.

Even so, the Council were quick to present their soon-to-be First Lady with a set of etiquette rules for the wife of a Kazekage. Apparently, they told Naoko, these rules were tradition and had been adhered to by every wife of every previous Kazekage of Suna since the First. The set of guidelines advised the wife on how to behave and how NOT to behave. For instance, the wife of the Kazekage should be a good hostess (even to unexpected guests), she should always have meals ready on time, she should be quiet and poised and should serve the Kazekage in all of his needs. The wife of the Kazekage must always dress finely and appropriately. She must behave like a lady. However, she should never nag her husband, or cause him undue stress, she should not be outspoken and she should not be gregarious or flirtatious. The theory behind the rules was that it advised the bride on how to be a good spouse, and a respectable public figure as the wife of the Kazekage. Naoko had snorted at the whole ridiculous idea. Afterall, she failed most of the requirements, and she thought it was all very old-fashioned. But she agreed in order to appease the Council slightly. Not only that, but she actually tried to be a good wife for Gaara. She really tried. She wanted to make him as happy as possible, and cause him the least amount of stress possible, what with his already unfadingly stressful profession and all. Not that Gaara cared about how Naoko dressed or spoke, or any of it for that matter… he just wanted her to be his, and she was. The rest was irrelevant.

Naoko's thoughts turned to her memories of the wedding day. It had been a quiet, private event, with only their closest friends and Gaara's family in attendance. Naoko smiled to herself as she remembered. It had been an amazing day. Yuki and Temari were bridesmaids and Kankuro was the best man. Naoko's uncle Kakashi had walked her down the aisle, because obviously Naoko's father wasn't alive to do so. Kankuro had delivered a clumsy but thoroughly sweet best man's speech and contrary to everyone's expectations, Naoko wasn't actually the one that got drunk at the wedding reception afterwards- but Kakashi did.

In fact, he got more than drunk- He got well and truly plastered. At one point he'd hijacked the microphone to do a drunken rendition of 'I Can't Get No Satisfaction'. He'd also attempted to pole dance with the microphone stand. Naoko had watched him in disbelief whilst telling Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura about the one time when she'd seen her uncle without his mask. They listened intently with wide eyes. Meanwhile, Tsunade had been inappropriately placing bets with the guests as to how long they thought the marriage would last. She was never one to miss a good chance to gamble.

As for the honeymoon, Gaara wasn't really at liberty to just up and leave Suna for a holiday. But a couple of weeks after the wedding he'd had to take a brief diplomatic trip to Kirigakure, so he'd taken Naoko with him. They stayed in a delightful little hotel by the sea, and when Gaara wasn't busy attending a meeting or conference, they had spent every free moment together.

Naoko snapped out of her memories when Ai gurgled a little bit and Naoko drew back the bottle, mopping the baby's milky, dribbly chin. Ai soon opened her mouth again, indicating that she was ready for more of her bottle. She suckled away sweetly. Naoko tenderly stroked the soft, fine wisps of baby hair that were sprouting cutely from her daughter's head. Baby Ai was nearly five months old now, and Kizuki was two years. Both children had been unplanned and unexpected, the products of Gaara's large sexual appetite and Naoko's forgetfulness when it came to taking the contraceptive pill. Indeed, she and Gaara had enjoyed married life without children for two years before Kizuki came along, but neither regretted having him or Ai one little bit. Gaara and Naoko loved their children more than anything… both pregnancies were accidents that they were deeply glad had occurred.

Their daughter Ai was quiet, like her father. The baby's hair was deep red too, just like his. Kizuki, on the other hand, was free spirited and turbulent like his mother. He had his mother's jet-black hair. Though the little boy's hair was usually a mess, Gaara-style, and his eyes were exact replicas of Gaara's- the same captivating shade of aquamarine. Kizuki was mischievous and brash, and along with his cousin Sumire, he caused all sorts of havoc. Sumire was Temari and Shikamaru's four year old daughter. Like Gaara and Naoko, Temari and Shikamaru had been married for four years now, and Temari had given birth to Sumire just a few months after the wedding. Shikamaru had moved from Konoha to live in Suna with Temari, because we all know who holds the power in that relationship (hehe). Anyhow, Kizuki was glad to have a playmate, and the two of them had a mischievous partnership that could have put Konohamaru's Ninja Squad to shame.

Presently, Gaara entered the kitchen again, dressed and ready for the day, carrying a folder. He was followed by an equally serious looking Kizuki, who was also carrying a little folder of his own. He tended to imitate his father a lot. Gaara gave his son a little smile.

"I'm going" Gaara announced, bending down to kiss his wife and baby daughter. He turned and ruffled his son's hair.

"Be good, Kizuki" he said knowingly. Kizuki could be quite a handful. The little boy beamed that familiar disarming smile at Gaara, who smiled back. Smiling came a little bit more easily to Gaara these days, especially when it came to his children. He set off to leave for work.

"Bye daddy fatty!" Kizuki yelled as the front door closed behind his father.

--

Naoko quickly fed the cat before she left the house. She'd found the poor stray kitten a couple of years earlier in a dirty little alleyway, and she'd brought it home. Since then, Naoko and Gaara had realised that it was some kind of desert wildcat hybrid, and every so often it displayed violent hunting urges, with its prey usually being the couch or Gaara's legs. However, despite the fact that the cat had no issues with savaging Naoko's arms, it was never aggressive towards Kizuki or Ai, becoming a fluffy bundle of serenity even when Kizuki tried to pull its ears off. The cat's unpredictable behaviour was a mystery to Naoko, resulting in her naming it 'Psycho Cat'.

After feeding the cat, Naoko and the children set off for Temari and Shikamaru's house. Both Naoko and Temari worked part-time now, with Temari taking a more administrative role in Suna's shinobi affairs. This way, the two young mothers could take it in turns looking after the children. Today was Naoko's turn to work.

"Hey Naoko honey" Temari sang happily as she opened the door to her sister-in-law. "Hey kids!" she said, turning to a bouncing Kizuki and a comatose Ai.

"Is Sumire in?" Kizuki asked. He always asked this despite the fact that the answer was always the same.

"Of course sh-" Temari was interrupted as her daughter barged past to grab Kizuki.

"Come on Kizuki!" Sumire ordered urgently, dragging her cousin indoors.

"Sumire! Don't be so bossy!" Temari scolded her daughter.

"Well she doesn't get it from MY side of the family" drifted a lazy sounding voice from somewhere in the living room.

Temari rolled her eyes at her husband and turned back to Naoko.

"So what's on the agenda today?" she asked.

Naoko sighed. "Nothing too strenuous. I need to go to the electrical hardware store first." She planted a gentle kiss on Ai's forehead before passing her to Temari. "Thanks Temari, I'll be back to pick them up at around 5 ish. KIZUKI, I'M GOING! BE A GOOD BOY!!" she shouted, but he'd already disappeared somewhere.

"Take it easy Naoko, see you later" Temari said before closing the door.

Naoko strolled in the direction of the East Side of Suna towards the store. The sun was blissfully hot; it was an ordinary, uneventful day in Suna, or so Naoko thought. She made her way towards a dim, scruffy little alleyway, the one in which she'd found Psycho Cat two years ago. Gaara didn't like Naoko to be anywhere near the alleyway; it was dark and secluded, and it was in a rougher part of town, but Naoko ignored his over-protective warnings and used the alley anyway. It was a convenient shortcut to the store.

She snaked down the narrow passageway, kicking the rubbish out of her path. The air here was damp and stale and she screwed up her nose at the putrid odour. Suddenly, she saw movement to her left. She stalled and scanned the area. Again, she saw something shuffle amongst the black plastic bin bags. She approached slowly, cautiously. She lifted away a bag of rubbish and saw a shock of bright platinum blonde hair, so bright it was almost white. A small, skinny body cowered away from her, trembling. It was… a child… a boy…

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Maigo- A lost or stray child

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A/N: Hope you like it so far. Make my day- leave a review!


	2. Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!

Chapter Two:

Gaara stretched out in the chair at his desk, slouching casually and reading an update on the situation in the south of the Land of Wind. It wasn't a big deal, just a small-scale skirmish between two neighbouring villages. Even so, several ninja had been deployed there to keep the peace.

Also on today's agenda was a meet and greet with a Land of Wind noble. Gaara hadn't really been listening when he was informed of this; schmoozing with the upperclasses wasn't really his thing. But from what he'd heard, this noble was the daughter of an important Lord. Apparently, she'd become something of an icon in the Land of Wind, always giving interviews to high-profile magazines and travelling to other lands to visit prominent people. It had gained her quite the celebrity status. Gaara didn't really have time to fawn over a spoilt, sanctimonious girl full of her own self-importance, but seeing as she was visiting Suna, he was obliged to welcome her, even if only as a gesture of goodwill.

His thoughts were interrupted as someone marched into his office unannounced. It was a very concerned looking Naoko.

"What's wrong?" Gaara asked, rising from his chair. Then he noticed she was holding hands with a young, withdrawn looking boy. He waited for her to explain.

"I found him in the alleyway on the way to the hardware store. I think he's lost"

Gaara narrowed his eyes at her accusingly. "I told you not to go there Naoko…"

She interrupted him with a frown. "Gaara, the poor kid's on his own. And he won't speak. I don't know what to do."

Gaara turned to the child beside Naoko. He was small and unusual looking, with white-blonde hair and dark, dark eyes. They might have been dark grey but Gaara couldn't quite tell; from where he was standing they looked black. The child stood limply, staring into space as if distracted by something.

"What is your name?" Gaara ground out harshly.

The boy startled out of his daze and widened his eyes slightly, looking directly at Gaara. But he didn't answer. His silence weighed heavily in the room. Gaara didn't like being ignored, and he was slightly irritated by the child's blatant refusal to speak.

"Well…?" Gaara pressed.

Still the child remained silent. Gaara frowned at the boy more sternly than was necessary, so Naoko squeezed the child's hand in an effort to offer some comfort. She knew Gaara could appear quite intimidating at times to those who weren't familiar with him.

"I think we should keep him" Naoko began, before realising how maternal she sounded. "I mean, y'know, just until we find his parents" she clarified. "Surely they'll report him missing soon, and then we can hand him straight over to them."

Gaara mulled this over for a few seconds before rubbing a hand through his unkempt, fiery hair. He sighed and gave an affirmative nod.

"Ok, we'll look after him until we track down his family"

Naoko smiled and bounded over to him, wrapping her arms around his broad shoulders and planting a quick kiss on his lips. She turned to leave.

"Naoko, we're welcoming a guest to Suna today… 3 o' clock" he informed her.

She turned and flashed him a grin. These kinds of occasions always called for her to play the refined, amiable wife of the Kazekage, but she didn't mind.

"Are we greeting anyone important?" she asked, the slightest sardonic tone to her voice.

"Hn. Something like that" he replied nonchalantly, returning to his seat.

She turned to exit the room before realising that the boy was still rooted to the spot. Still silent. It was as if he was in his own world, oblivious to what was going on around him. Naoko took his small, frail hand in hers.

"Hey…" she said softly, tugging him gently in the direction of the door. The boy turned and cast a final, knowing glance at Gaara before submitting and following Naoko.

"See you, Tiger" she smiled at Gaara over her shoulder. "I love you."

"I love you too" Gaara replied softly, but Naoko had already left and closed the door behind her.

He allowed himself a small smile. The room always felt more alive when Naoko was in it, and she left a trace of her electric presence even after she'd gone. Maybe it was her Kekkei Genkai, or maybe it was just love. Either way, Gaara knew his life would be dismal without her.

His thoughts turned to the nameless light-haired boy. Gaara had seen the look the child had given him, and it had unnerved him. There was something strange about this boy. His dark, clouded eyes had a piercing, sad wisdom beyond his years. It made Gaara feel as though the boy had seen right through him, right into his soul. The child's silence had just made it an even more disturbing experience. Somewhere in Gaara's perceptive shinobi mind, alarm bells were ringing. Something wasn't quite right about that child.

--

Naoko made her way through the building to the tech room- her work's HQ. The boy followed obediently, still attached to Naoko's hand. The grip of his clammy fingers was neither too tight nor too weak… it was simply indifferent. His feet dragged on the floor.

Naoko slid open a door and stepped into the room. A couple of young trainee engineers jumped and stood up to acknowledge their Sensei.

"Lady Naoko! Good morning!" garbled one of the trainees- a young lad of 17 years who had proven to be quite a promising student in the past few weeks. Naoko screwed up her nose at the formal greeting. Sure, she was the wife of the Kazekage, but she could never quite get used to being addressed as 'Lady' Naoko.

"Listen, Daichi, you really don't have to call me that… just Naoko will do… its fine, honestly…" she looked around. "Where the hell is Yuki?" she added abruptly, scanning the room for her best friend and work colleague.

"She and Kankuro went to the storeroom to look for something" the trainee replied naively.

Naoko quirked a brow. "They did, huh?"

She smirked as she walked towards a large door at the back of the room. A bold sign on the door read 'Electrical Storeroom'. She opened the door sharply to be met by darkness. There was an anonymous gasp from inside the room and a loud clattering noise as something was knocked over. Naoko knew better than to turn the light on- she dreaded to think what sight would meet her.

"I wonder what you two could possibly be looking for in the dark?" Naoko sang sarcastically into the pitch-black room. There was no response.

"Come on, I know your game!" she teased.

Finally the light was switched on and a very flushed Yuki and disheveled Kankuro were revealed.

"Oh! Naoko! Hi!" Yuki smiled innocently, feigning a look of surprise before realising she'd been well and truly busted so there was no point in trying to hide it. She sighed and altered her demeanour appropriately. "You're late, as always" she said, finally meeting Naoko's amused gaze.

"Yes. But this time I have a reason!" Naoko chirped, raising a finger triumphantly. Yuki and Kankuro sheepishly followed her back into the main room before they noticed the young boy beside Naoko.

"What's the deal, Mother Teresa?" Kankuro asked, indicating to the boy.

Naoko ruffled the child's bright hair. "We think he's lost. We're keeping an eye on him till we find his parents". She began to shoo Kankuro towards the exit. "Beat it brother. We've got work to do"

"Wait", Kankuro interrupted. "Your uncle Kakashi's in Suna with the Uchiha. He said they'll probably be in the Desert Solace tonight if you want to catch them". (The Desert Solace was a local bar that was usually frequented with most of Suna's off-duty shinobi).

Hearing this, Naoko gave a wide grin. She'd not seen the loveable old man for a while so it would be nice to catch up.

"Ok Kankuro, thanks for letting me know. See you later" she said, shoving him out of the door before he could reply.

"See you later Yuki!" came his muffled call through the now closed door.

Naoko led the silent boy to a chair at the edge of the room and he settled on it compliantly. She didn't mind the idea of looking after the child while she worked- he was no trouble at all, unlike her unruly son. The two engineers and two trainees sat on the floor and set to work, chatting as they did.

"So… how are things going with Kanky?" Naoko asked with a mischievous glint in her green eyes.

Yuki bit her lip, looking unsure. She and Kankuro had been seeing each other tentatively for a couple of years. It was a very casual relationship, and recently Yuki had been a little disgruntled at the haphazard Sabaku's reluctance to commit.

"Well, y'know… we're taking it easy for now" Yuki replied, a sensible look on her face.

"He's still being evasive, huh?" Naoko sighed, inspecting some circuitry in her hands. "Well, you two seemed to be having a good old time in the store room over there" she chuckled.

"Our sex life isn't the problem" Yuki grinned.

Naoko rolled her eyes. "I hope I don't find any nasty surprises in that store room" she muttered under her breath.

Yuki ignored the comment and leaned in towards Naoko cautiously. She lowered her voice to a whisper so that the child couldn't hear. "Naoko…do you and Gaara ever…um well…"

Naoko looked at her like she was a loon. "Spit it out Yuki!"

"Ssshhh!" Yuki urged. "Well, y'know they're shinobi, yeah?" Yuki whispered.

"…Yeah…"

"And they can, like… clone themselves…" Yuki said as she fidgeted nervously with some wires and a screwdriver.

"…Yeah…" Naoko said, not understanding where Yuki was going with this.

Yuki writhed, embarrassed. "Well, last night, Kankuro, like, y'know… and we, y'know… so there was, like, two of him" she stammered, grinning uncontrollably.

Naoko finally caught on and gasped. "Yuki! I didn't think you'd try something like that! Hahaha…I mean, Kankuro, he's perverse anyway… but you… you're really sensible. I didn't think you'd be up for that kind of thing!" Naoko giggled.

Yuki smiled victoriously.

"A threesome with two Kankuros" Naoko thought aloud as she grimaced and tried to remove the images from her mind.

"I just wondered if you and Gaara had tried anything like that before? I mean, from the graphic things you've told me, you two are v-e-r-y experimental" Yuki said in a dramatic tone, raising her eyebrows.

Naoko thought this over for a few seconds, still taken aback by her friend's uncharacteristically deviant sexual exploits and her openness in discussing them.

"No…actually Gaara and I haven't tried that…" Naoko said quietly, matter-of-factly.

"Really?!" Yuki let out a silly, girly giggle, "You should! It's really great!!" she squealed, grinning triumphantly because she'd finally tried something that Naoko hadn't.

Naoko silently mused on the sheer genius of using the Shadow Clone Jutsu that way. Why the hell hadn't she thought of that?! Who would've thought her imagination could be outdone by none other than Yuki (Mrs Prudish herself) and her brother in law Kankuro (the village idiot)? Naoko couldn't deny that it was an amazing idea. She imagined being sandwiched between two Gaara's. Two pale and perfect bodies heatedly pressed against her, moist and frantic. One Gaara was already more than enough to screw her completely senseless… but two would be…

'Woah' she told herself, 'breathe'.

She decided that she would be informing her husband of this. This was something they just HAD to try.

--

Kage Bunshin no Jutsu- Shadow Clone Jutsu

--

A/N: Next time, Sasuke gets drunk, and a long lost individual from Gaara's past reappears… How will Naoko react? And just what is the deal with the mysterious, silent little boy? Well, you'll just have to wait and see! All will unfold… Things are about to get intense…

A big thanks to Internetastic 4: I now grant you the title of Dag's Chief Translator! I will probably be asking for advice on Japanese translations sometime in the near future. Thanks again - you're a lifesaver! And thanks for all the super lovely wonderful reviews, people!

Final thoughts: Mmm… Gaara sandwich


	3. Hajimemashite

A/n: I swear to God these early mornings at work aren't doing my brain any good lol

When I'm sleep deprived I get crazy ideas, like the Gaara sandwich, hahaha (ponders)… erm, yeah anyway, where was I? Oh yes. To The Cheez: Wow!! Thank you for such a fantastic review! It's those kinds of detailed reviews that just totally make my day, I was so happy! All the hard work really pays off when someone lets me know what they think or how my story made them feel, or their own speculations as to what may happen. I'm very glad you're enjoying the story. I'm rambling again aren't I? (zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz)

Chapter 3: Hajimemashite

Warning: Some BAAAD language (its Naoko, that girl is so uncouth)

3 o' clock arrived swiftly and it was time to greet the guest that was visiting Suna. Naoko dropped the silent boy off at Temari's with a brief, feeble explanation and an apologetic thank you. The poor woman was now looking after four kids. But it wouldn't be for too long, Naoko reasoned. Afterall, she and Gaara were only greeting a guest, its not like they were going on a trip around the world.

Gaara and Naoko made their way down a long corridor in the Council building, walking with a swift pace. They were joined by a small entourage of officials and a couple of shinobi. This wasn't for any real purpose; it was merely a formality. Gaara, of course, was dressed in his full Kazekage regalia, and Naoko tugged uncomfortably at her elegant dress. She wasn't used to such garments.

"Gaara do I look ok?"

"You look fine"

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure"

"Do you think Temari will be ok with the kids?"

"Yes"

"I feel bad for leaving her to look after them all…"

"Hn"

"Do you know who we're meeting?"

"Not really"

Naoko's frantic wonderings continued to be met by Gaara's typical dead end, simple comments, forming a fragmented version of a conversation. They finally approached the large hall where their guest awaited their arrival. The small entourage entered first, followed by the Kazekage and his wife.

Upon entering the room, Naoko's eyes settled on the guest. It was a woman, probably the same age as her and Gaara, she surmised. The girl had brown hair, parted at one side. It was the richest shade of chocolate, and was set in luscious waves falling over her shoulders. A soft, sweeping fringe fell to one side of her face, partially veiling one of her deep blue eyes. Her complexion was a glowing peach hue. The soft pink blush of her defined cheekbones was highlighted by the dusky pink silk dress she wore. And what a dress it was; the bust of the satin garment had been overlaid with delicately pleated chiffon fabric, and the tight, corset-like bodice pulled in her waistline and accentuated the girl's hourglass figure. A detailed embellishment was provided in the form of various jewels, painstakingly embroidered into the seam at the top of the skirt like a dainty, slim belt that emphasised the shape of the woman's hips. Pink really was this girl's colour, Naoko noted. She looked amazing… truly and completely exquisite. Naoko couldn't remember the last time she'd seen a woman as beautiful or as richly adorned. It must have taken months for a tailor to make a gown like that, and it must have been astronomically expensive, let alone the cost of the precious gems that gilded it.

The woman's build and stature were similar to Naoko's, apart from the chest region. Naoko's eyes automatically settled there. It was difficult not to… the woman's breasts were huge. The plump flesh bulged over the neckline of the dress. Naoko felt a tinge of envy. She herself had always been a bit lacking in the chest department. She finally realised that she was staring, and probably looked like a pervert, so she tore her eyes away and adopted a warm friendly smile. She looked over to Gaara, expectantly, only to find that he too was staring at the visitor's colossal chest, as if he expected it to jump out of her dress and start running laps around the room. Naoko almost cracked up laughing at her husband's blank, slightly incredulous facial expression, but stifled her giggle into a polite cough, which seemed to cause Gaara to snap back to reality. He approached the guest and readjusted his line of view to her face. His expression remained blank as always, but when he focused on the guest's face he suddenly stopped in his tracks. His eyes widened slightly as something nagged at his mind… something so obvious. A vague, distant memory of recognition evaded him. Finally, it dawned on him. His mouth opened slightly in disbelief and a wave of familiarity hit him hard.

"S…Setsuko?" he muttered questioningly, as if trying out the word to see how it felt in his mouth.

"It's been a long time, Gaara. Or should I say, Lord Kazekage" came the visitor's sweet and musical voice.

Her deep blue eyes glinted and she smiled warmly towards the Kazekage. Naoko simply observed the situation, having no idea what was going on.

"Setsuko?" Gaara repeated. "Setsuko Ishida"

The visitor looked the Kazekage over from head to toe, as if inspecting a child on the first day of school.

"I always knew you'd do great things, Gaara"

Gaara halted, as if he wasn't sure what to say. He calculated the right words before speaking.

"It's been sixteen years… its good to see you again" he said once he'd composed himself.

"My father and I were both deeply saddened when we heard about your father. Still, you appear to have done well for yourself. You're certainly looking well" Setsuko conferred, smiling brightly. Her blue eyes glittered with something that Naoko couldn't decipher.

"You've grown to be extremely handsome, Gaara!" Setsuko exclaimed

Suddenly, Setsuko reached out, enclosing Gaara in a hug. Naoko instinctively tensed as Setsuko pressed her ample chest against Gaara. He merely froze and widened his eyes but didn't opt to pull away.

Gaara _knew_ this girl, Naoko deduced. From somewhere, sometime in the distant past. The details of their familiarity were as of yet unknown to Naoko- Gaara had never spoken to Naoko about this. In truth, from the things Gaara had confided, Naoko assumed that Gaara never had any friends as a child.

He mentioned something about having not seen this girl for sixteen years, Naoko thought to herself. That means they must have been… she calculated in her mind… six years old. She looked at her husband's supposed old friend. The woman was still cuddling Gaara, her arms locked around his shoulders. Gaara's hands fidgeted awkwardly, falling on the woman's waist, before thinking twice and settling chastely on her upper back. His posture remained stiff until Setsuko appeared to whisper something in his ear that Naoko couldn't quite hear. His lips quirked into a slight smile. What had the woman spoken of, Naoko wondered? An amusing memory they shared, perhaps? Naoko was becoming more and more uncomfortable by the second, a hot fury boiling up in her stomach. She was shocked at her possessiveness. She was about to intervene when Setsuko finally broke away from Gaara.

Setsuko's penetrating blue eyes focused on Naoko inquisitively.

"And who's this?" she asked, an amused tone in her saccharine, sweet voice.

Gaara reached his hand to grasp Naoko's in silent apology. With one cautious glance at his wife, he knew that he may pay for this little episode later, in private.

"Naoko, my wife" he answered.

Setsuko blinked skeptically a couple of times.

"Really?" she chimed in a polite tone. "An arranged marriage?" she asked flatly.

"No" Gaara replied. Naoko was still silent, having somehow lost the ability to speak.

"A _free_ marriage?! A marriage for love?!" Setsuko questioned incredulously with a doubtful smile, as if she thought Gaara was insane to have chosen Naoko by free will. Setsuko's tone, however, remained polite in that aristocratic way that made even the most malicious comments seem like prim, harmless smalltalk. Her air of well brought-up etiquette reminded Naoko of the way Gaara sometimes acted. Gaara and Setsuko were both of noble birth, afterall. But however politely Setsuko spoke, her underhand gestures were rude- she hadn't even introduced herself to Naoko yet, instead choosing to ignore her so far. Naoko set her face in a cold, blank expression and answered the woman's question.

"Yes, it was a marriage for love" she replied curtly. Gaara flinched internally at her use of the past tense.

Setsuko's piercing eyes had not left Naoko's. It was as if she was calculating her.

"How sweet" came Setsuko's patronising conclusion. "Anyway, it's certainly a pleasure to meet you, Naoko" she said with practised pleasance. "I'm Setsuko Ishida" she said, bowing lightly. Naoko reluctantly returned the gesture, making sure to give a shallower bow.

Before Naoko had chance to learn how Gaara and Setsuko knew each other, one of the officials in the room stepped forward. He was a secretarial timekeeper of sorts, employed to make sure the Kazekage kept to his tight schedule.

"Lord Kazekage… I'm afraid you have to wrap things up now, you have other matters to attend to" he began apprehensively.

"Hn… very well" Gaara replied. He turned back to Setsuko.

"I apologise, but I have to leave now" he announced with a professional tone.

"Of course, you're a busy man" Setsuko smiled. "We really must catch up sometime soon though, and reminisce for old time's sake. You could show me around the village. Afterall, it's been a long time since I've seen Sunagakure"

Gaara pondered this. "I will" he answered.

"I'll hold you to it!" Setsuko chirped. "Goodbye for now" she said, bowing to Gaara. Naoko noticed that Setsuko didn't bother saying goodbye to her.

Gaara nodded in response and turned to leave. Naoko followed.

They left the room and re-entered the corridor, at which point Gaara turned and left a quick kiss on Naoko's lips.

"I'll see you later" he told her, and sharply proceeded up the corridor, making a quick getaway before Naoko could bombard him with questions.

She remained unmoving in the corridor for a while, watching him leave. She was still none the wiser about the stranger she'd just met. A look of confusion was evident on her face as she tried to assess what had just happened.

"Well, that was surreal" she muttered to herself, before heading back to work. She would have to ask him about this later.

--

Later that evening, Naoko picked up the kids from Temari's and they all settled down to have dinner.

"RAAAAR!!" Kizuki cried, cramming a pair of food-laden chopsticks into Gaara's mouth. The child had insisted on sitting in his father's lap and feeding his dinner to him. The little two-year-old still had trouble using chopsticks, resulting in a deluge of food smeared down Gaara's front.

"Be careful Kizuki, you'll choke your father" Naoko scolded half-heartedly.

"Shouldn't _I_ be feeding _you_?" Gaara asked his giddy son. Kizuki answered by cramming another load of food into his father's mouth.

"RAAAAR!!"

The silent boy that Naoko had brought home was sat at the other end of the table, watching the scenario absent-mindedly. His own plate of food remained almost untouched. Naoko ruffled the boy's platinum hair.

"What's up sweetie, aren't you hungry?" she asked him.

The boy turned slowly to look at Naoko, a vacant look in his eyes. He didn't answer, he just continued to gaze at her as if she'd just spoken a foreign language.

Naoko decided that the poor boy was probably very tired and nervous at being surrounded by complete strangers. Even so, she found it odd that he hadn't uttered a single word since she found him. When she'd picked the kids up from Temari's earlier, Temari had confirmed that he hadn't spoken a single word to her either. His absolute silence was mystifying, along with the fact that he always seemed to be distracted by something, as if only half of his mind was in reality.

She shrugged off her concern and finished feeding baby Ai, who was serene in her highchair as always. When the last of the bottle was gone, Naoko stood up to leave, having already finished her own dinner.

"Right, I'm off to see my uncle at the Desert Solace. I won't be long" she said, kissing her daughter and husband, and her grubby son.

"Will you bath the kids and put them to bed, Gaara?" she asked.

"Yes" Gaara confirmed.

"No baff! No bed!" Kizuki whined, throwing his chopsticks into the air in outrage.

Naoko quickly left, evading her son's nightly bath/bed tantrum. She had decided to question Gaara about the whole 'Setsuko scenario' later, when she returned home and the kids were asleep.

She paced down the street, revelling in the desert air that was cooling rapidly as evening set in. The delicious aroma of food and spices infused the breeze as numerous other families settled down for their evening meals. Naoko smiled. She thought of her own family- her husband and their two babies, and then their extended family- Temari and Shikamaru and Sumire, uncle Kakashi, and Kankuro, and of course Yuki, who may as well have been Naoko's sister… she thought of them all, and her heart warmed contentedly. They were a family. One big family. Sure, they had disagreements and sometimes they had quarrels, but such things were insignificant. They were all there for each other, filling each other's lives with purpose and, most importantly, love. After Naoko lost her own family all those years ago and had spent so many years running from one place to another, unable to return home, she had longed to feel that same sense of belonging. All she had wanted was to feel that again… to have a family… to belong somewhere. And since she'd met Gaara and they'd started their life together, and then started a family, it felt right. Everything would be ok. She had a family again. She belonged somewhere. Now, as she glanced through the windows of the houses she passed and saw these families sitting around their tables together, she knew she was like them. She was part of a normal family. Nothing extraordinary or miraculous. Just a normal family, the way she'd always wanted.

Presently, Naoko rounded a corner and proceeded to cross the street. She approached a snug looking building that sported a wobbly, rickety sign that hung over the doorway. The sign read 'The Desert Solace'- the local haven for off-duty shinobi. A warm, welcoming glow shone through the window, illuminating the ever-darkening street outside. Naoko approached and pushed open the door. She scanned the room for a while, taking in the faces around her, before finally noticing a shock of silver hair at the bar. Sure enough, beside that was a black haired Konoha shinobi with a giveaway Uchiha crest on the back of his shirt. Naoko strolled over to them.

"Uncle Kakashi! How's it going old man?" she teased.

Kakashi turned and raised his eyebrow with disdain, but his eyes smiled gladly nonetheless.

"Naoko, I swear you get more obnoxious every time I see you" he drawled, his smooth expressive voice slightly legato as always.

"And I swear you look more ancient every time I see you" she countered. "It's a good job your hair's already grey- it makes the aging process less obvious"

"It's not grey… its sterling silver," he said in a serious tone.

Naoko cracked up laughing and gave her beloved uncle a vigorous hug she knew he hated, before seating herself beside Sasuke and ordering a drink from the bartender.

"Hey Sasuke, long time no see!" she piped, smiling amiably.

Sasuke didn't answer. In fact, he didn't even look up- his head was bowed, forehead flat down on the bar.

"Sasuke…?"

He still made no attempt to reply. Naoko shot a quizzical look at her uncle before leaning round Sasuke's back to whisper.

"What's the deal with him?" she hissed at her uncle with a dramatic raise of her eyebrows and an over-exaggerated thumb in the Uchiha's direction.

"Hmm… let's just say he doesn't know his limit." Kakashi uttered decisively. Naoko screwed up her nose.

"To tell you the truth, he's been drinking a lot lately. I'm a little worried about him." Kakashi confided.

Naoko raised her eyebrows interestedly, indicating for Kakashi to continue.

"He's depressed all the time and every night he drinks on his own, until he can't move. That's why I brought him to Suna with me as a sort of respite. I thought a break from missions would do him some good. It can't be easy for him, what with everything that's happened to him over the past few years- y'know, with the Itachi situation and everything else."

Naoko nodded gravely.

"I thought if he had some company, he might not drink so much. But it seems I was wrong." He said sadly, glancing at the apparently unconscious Uchiha.

Naoko's heart clenched sorrowfully for him. She'd never been particularly close to him, but she considered him to be a friend and it made her sad to think he was suffering so. Afterall, they had both lost their family. That was something she could relate to. But she couldn't imagine Sasuke's pain at the fact that it had been his own brother who was responsible. His conflicted loyalty towards both his family and his brother must have been a horrible burden for a child to bear. Evidently, he had never really gotten over it. She laid her hand gently on his back and rubbed it comfortingly.

"Sasuke…?" she said quietly into his ear, immediately regretting it when the alcohol fumes radiating from him nearly choked her.

He shuffled slightly and turned his head to the side, fixing his dazed, clouded onyx eyes on her.

"What do you want?" he slurred rudely.

"Just wanted to know you're ok. Its good to see you!" she chirped brightly, hoping her cheerfulness would rub off on him.

He merely sneered and laid his head on the bar again in silence. Naoko chewed her lip awkwardly, before shrugging and turning back to her uncle.

"So how are the kids?" Kakashi asked, changing the subject.

Naoko beamed at the mention of her children. "Well Kizuki's still as daft and lively as ever, and Ai is the sweetest little thing- never cries or wakes us up at night. She's so quiet. But we think she's already showing signs that she's inherited my Kekkei Genkai. She's given Gaara a few electric shocks." She chuckled proudly.

Hearing this, Kakashi's ears perked up. "Really? That is something… and so young" he said interestedly.

"Hmm, I know. I love both of the little tykes, they really brighten up our lives. It's a little stressful sometimes but Gaara and I get by".

Sasuke suddenly scoffed at the mention of Gaara.

"So you're still with that brute, huh?" he sneered.

Kakashi rolled his eyes and massaged his temples exasperatedly, as if to say 'Oh no, here he goes…'.

Naoko frowned. "So I'm guessing you're not a happy drunk, Sasuke"

He ignored her and continued. "I thought you would've had the common sense to leave that prick by now Naoko, but I guess I thought too highly of you" he slurred slowly.

Naoko sighed in irritation. Gaara and Sasuke had never got on well. No, that was an understatement… they'd always HATED each other. Naoko always begged Gaara to be civil with the Uchiha, but it didn't make a difference- once you get two alpha males in the same vicinity, there's bound to be rivalry. According to Temari, they had been bitter rivals from the first moment they met. And nowadays, whenever an occasion arose in which they had to be around each other, the tension between them was unbearable, usually ending in the two of them sniping sharp nasty comments at each other. Naoko grimaced when Sasuke started speaking again.

"He's the worst kind of creature. Pathetic. Fucking sick murderer" Sasuke jeered.

Naoko instantly become outraged at this, feeling the duty to defend her husband.

"How DARE you? He's changed, Sasuke. He's an honourable man who would do anything for his village and the people he cares about. He's left the past behind now, he doesn't wallow in self pity like you. You could take a lesson from him. Whatever bad things Gaara may have done in his life, it doesn't matter now… its all in the past" she retorted crossly.

Sasuke didn't answer for about thirty seconds. Obviously the alcohol had slowed down his reaction time. Finally he began to speak, slow and deliberate.

"But it's not in the past is it? It's not in the past for the people he killed… they're still dead. Nothing can bring them back. That psycho bastard got a second chance, but they'll never get a second chance. They're dead" he spat bitterly.

"And now he's the fucking Kazekage. What a joke," he taunted. Naoko was becoming more infuriated by the second.

"…But he'll suffer for what he did. One day he'll be punished for all the people he killed. Life always finds a way to avenge the death of the innocent." Sasuke snarled self-righteously. Afterall, this guy's entire life had revolved around revenge. It was his life philosophy.

Naoko stood up abruptly, knocking her chair over.

"I've had ENOUGH of this. I'm going". She paused momentarily, turning back to Sasuke and speaking in a seething, shaky voice.

"You need to take a good long look at yourself, Sasuke… you betrayed your village, you rejected the people who cared about you, and worst of all you tried to kill your best friend. Think about that before you judge Gaara. You are pitiful." she waved goodbye half-heartedly at her uncle, not looking back as she stormed out of the pub.

"Bastard! Bastard!" she cursed aloud, grumbling as she paced huffily back home. Her fists were clenched, fingers curled, nails digging into her palms. She approached her home and flung the door open.

**(SLAM)**

Hearing the racket, Gaara, who was in the study, lifted his head from the mission summaries he was evaluating.

**(SLAM)**

Naoko burst into the room brusquely.

"GAARA, I SWEAR TO GOD, PLEASE, JUST KNOCK THAT BASTARD OUT!!" she screamed.

Gaara's calm turquoise eyes fixed on his frenzied wife. One of her arms was outstretched melodramatically and her face was set in an outraged scowl.

"You mean your uncle?" he asked doubtfully. Naoko and Kakashi get on fine, why would she want me to knock out her uncle? he wondered.

"NO! THAT CUNT UCHIHA!" she blared obscenely.

Gaara let out a quiet growl at the mention of Sasuke, and the fact that Sasuke had upset his wife. It wasn't often that Naoko got this riled up- Naoko never usually lost her cool. But here she was, quaking with anger. Sasuke must have done something truly deplorable to get Naoko in such a state. Sasuke had made a big mistake. Gaara was severely protective of his family- no one messed with his loved ones and got away with it. Gaara made a mental note of this for future reference.

"Naoko, calm down" came his deep, velveteen reply. "You'll wake the kids" he said in an attempt to pacify her.

She took in a deep, laboured breath, before exhaling and rubbing her head roughly with both hands in a violent massage.

"You're right" she breathed. She walked over to where he was sat at his overloaded desk and stood behind him, draping herself around his shoulders, nuzzling her face into his neck.

"What did he do?" Gaara asked with a misleading nonchalance concealing his plans for revenge.

"Nothing" she sighed, "Nothing, Gaara. I don't want to talk about it. I'm just over-reacting." She traced a few sweet little kisses up his neck, before ending the journey at his mouth. He turned his head back to engage in the kiss. He worked his lips against hers slowly. She nipped at his bottom lip enticingly before pulling away to look at the work he was currently completing.

"Gaara why are you still working at this time? You have secretaries to do this kind of thing anyway" she said, flapping a wad of papers around impertinently.

"Come to bed. You know I can't sleep without you" she said sweetly, pouting a little.

He looked at his work regretfully before deciding to comply with his wife's wishes. He stood up wearily and followed her to their bedroom.

--

"How's the boy?" Naoko asked, referring to the silent, stray child as she changed into her nightclothes.

Gaara was stretched out on the bed. "He's asleep. I put him in the spare bedroom"

"Hmm" Naoko muttered, lazily climbing over her husband to get to her side of the bed.

"Don't you think there's something strange about him?" she asked, turning to Gaara with a concerned look on her face. "I mean, he won't respond to anyone, not even to nod or shake his head. Nothing. And his parents still haven't come forward yet."

"Hn…" Gaara replied.

"And… I don't know… There's just something weird about him" she continued. "And his eyes… they're so grey… so frightened… he always looks so _haunted_. I'm a little worried" she said quietly, slightly unnerved.

Gaara remained silent.

"What do you think, Tiger?" she urged, knowing that her husband sometimes didn't respond unless pressed. "Come on, what are your brilliant shinobi instincts telling you?"

He frowned slightly, so slightly it was barely noticeable.

"I think there's more to this child than meets the eye" he said cautiously, not wanting to worry his wife too much, but unable to ignore the warning sirens going off in his mind. "This runs much deeper below the surface than we can imagine. I'm certain of it" he predicted, remembering the meaningful look the boy had given him when they first met.

Naoko mused on this for a while before shrugging and pulling out a battered notepad from her bag at the side of the bed. She proceeded to rest it on Gaara and started scribbling away, using his bare chest as a makeshift desk. She was finishing a couple of equations and circuit plans for work. It would only take a couple of minutes to finish, she told herself. She decided to inquire about the woman they had greeted earlier, Setsuko.

"So… tell me about this 'Setsuko'" she said, more venomously than she had intended.

A small smile crept across Gaara's lips. "She's an old friend… from a long time ago…"

Naoko frowned at his sketchy answer. "I thought you didn't have any friends when you were little."

"I didn't. Just her" he said quietly before realising that Naoko wanted a better answer than that.

"Her father, Keito Ishida, is a Wind Country lord. Sometimes he would come to Suna to discuss political matters with my father. And when he came he brought his daughter, Setsuko. My father allowed me to associate with her. She was my only acquaintance" he said bitterly, remembering his lonely, unhappy childhood, and hating his father for it.

Like Gaara, Setsuko had been ostracised from other children and was lonely. Her father believed she shouldn't mix with 'common' children, and so, even though she had never stayed in Suna for long, her and Gaara had been especially close. A few fleeting memories passed through his mind. Memories of him and Setsuko playing in the sand, grubby and happy. Memories of hide and seek in the Council building. The memory of him and Setsuko pledging an eternal oath to be best friends forever. He smiled to himself again.

Naoko watched his face, searching for any suspicious signals. She'd decided that she didn't like Setsuko, and she certainly didn't want Gaara to be around her again. But she quickly chastised herself internally, realising how ridiculous she was behaving. She was sickened at her own possessiveness. She promptly finished her work and flung the notepad over the side of the bed before switching off the bedside lamp.

" 'Night" she whispered, leaning over to kiss Gaara.

"Goodnight Naoko" he replied.

She snuggled against him and rested one arm around his waist. The darkness lulled them both into a deep and troubled sleep.

--

Title translation:

Hajimemashite- Nice to meet you


	4. Meibatsu

Chapter 4: Meibatsu

In the dead of night, two people slept. Naoko's slumbering form rested beside that of Gaara's. She breathed soft and steady, occasionally releasing a little snuffle in her state of deep dormancy. Her midnight jet hair was fanned out across the pillow, apart from a few locks obscuring her face that fluttered slightly with each out breath. In her blissful state of sleep she was unaware that something was wrong. Gaara slept on his back beside her. His breathing was more erratic. Shaky breaths rattled through his body. Beads of sweat had formed on his chest and forehead. His red hair was damp and it clung to his face. He shifted in his sleep, his body occasionally jolting and his head thrashing. His pale smooth face was screwed up into an image of unbearable suffering. He was dreaming.

In the dream, he was a child again. His small, weak frame was hunched, trudging through the harsh, unforgiving desert. Cruel sandpaper winds lashed at his face like a thousand stinging whips. He pulled his robes up around himself in an attempt to alleviate their wrath. The desert sun glared and burned, making the winds hot. The child Gaara squinted and shielded his eyes from the sharp light of the sun, searching ahead of him to find his way through the desert. But all that lay ahead of him was sand, barren and endless. Still he soldiered on, with no purpose or knowledge of where he was trying to get to. He thought that maybe he was searching for something in the emptiness, but he didn't know what that something was. 'Maybe I'll know when I find it' he told himself. 'As soon as I find it, I'll just know instantly that it's the thing that I've been looking for, but until then, it will be hidden'.

He continued his battle onwards. There wasn't another living thing to be seen. Just the small crimson haired boy, alone. Suddenly, with no warning, he found himself falling. With a thud, Gaara found himself in darkness. He scrabbled anxiously, shocked and frightened by his sudden descent. The first thing that hit him was the stench down here. He tried to calm his stomach as he gagged at the revolting smell. His hands fumbled across a dusty surface which he finally reasoned must be a floor of some sort. Sitting up, he gathered himself and his thoughts. He moved his arm around in order to ascertain whether any damage had been done when he'd fallen and landed on his shoulder. The joint was painful and stiff, but in the end it seemed to be working alright.

He turned to survey his surroundings. Darkness. The air was cooler down here in the shadows. He looked up, and saw a blinding circle of light high above him. As he studied it, he realised that it was the sky. It was the outside world that he'd just fallen from. He worked out that this inconvenient hole in the ground must be that old, disused well in the middle of the desert that he'd heard about. Obviously, the well had dried up, as proven by the bone-dry dusty floor he was sat on. 'Is this what I was looking for?' he asked himself. He wondered whether anyone knew he was here, whether they knew he'd fallen down a well in the middle of nowhere. Probably not, he surmised, although even if they did, they wouldn't care. As soon as he'd thought this, he was hit hard by the realisation of what this meant. No one cared about him. He imagined all the people happily going about their daily business on the outside world. No one cared, and no one would be coming to get him out of here. He was alone in this world. He curled up and wrapped his arms around himself. No one needed him.

He decided to explore the size and shape of the cavern he was in. He crawled across the floor, feeling the ground with his hands to make sure it was level; the last thing he needed was to trip over a dip in the floor and break his leg. After he'd made sure the ground was stable, he stood up. He reached out in front of him and felt for a wall, stepping forward and eventually finding it. He traced his fingers along it, testing the circumference of the space he was in. The place was big, much bigger than he'd thought the inside of a well would be. It was like a vast hall below the surface of the earth. In the darkness his foot kicked something that rattled. He tripped but regained his balance. The hollow sound echoed through the chamber. He squinted through the darkness, looking towards the thing he'd stumbled across. His eyes adjusted to the darkness, and he could make out the shape of something spindly and white. He knelt down beside the object and examined it with his hands. The thing was long, thin and stick-like, and it felt smooth and hard. His eyesight continued to adjust and eventually he started to work out what this _thing_ was.

He gasped, the sound catching in his throat, making him splutter. He stumbled backwards chaotically, writhing to get away from it. It was a skeleton. He panted frantically. Its not that he was scared… he was just shocked. He'd not expected it. Maybe it's someone who fell down here like I did, he guessed. They had probably starved to death. He tilted his head to the side to look at the skull. The eye sockets gaped ominously. The strangest thing was that the jaw was wide open and contorted into a scream shape. This hinted that it had been a violent death, erasing Gaara's previous notion that the person had starved. The young Gaara shuddered. If this person had died violently, did that mean there was something down here? He looked around the cavern suspiciously, only to find many, many more corpses. Piles of them. Some were clean, brittle skeletons like the first one, but some were partially decomposed. Their faces were also twisted into expressions of horror and pain. Some of them lacked body parts; the one to his immediate left lacked its entire lower body. He looked closely at the face of this decaying dead person. He knew this face. It was someone Gaara had killed recently when Shukaku had overpowered his restraint.

The horrible truth dawned on him. He looked around frantically… These were the bodies of all the people he had ever killed. He looked at the snapped and mangled bodies partially crushed and obliterated- he often didn't crush his victims completely, instead preferring to take his time, keeping them alive and crushing parts of them so he could watch their suffering. Limbs stuck out at odd angles. He looked at the death surrounding him and the human within him became frightened. Here he was, surrounded by unavoidable evidence of his carnage. He was trapped down here with the bodies of his victims. Their dead eyes glared at him. The stench of rotting flesh was asphyxiating. Panic overtook him and he wailed, trying to get away somehow. He stumbled across the dry floor, tripping over bones, hearing them crack beneath his feet. He sank down on the ground in the centre of the cavern, overwhelmed by excruciating guilt, and began to weep. 'I'm a monster' he whispered through stifled sobs. 'I'm a monster. I'm sorry'. In his mind he saw his father's face, filled with disgust and disappointment.

"I'M SORRY!!" he shouted into the darkness, his own words echoing back at him mockingly.

He curled his small fingers into his dusty red hair and shuddered as soft whimpers escaped him. Still he imagined his father's face and that look of hatred. He saw the hatred. He felt it. He saw the mother he would never know, and more than anything he wanted her to be alive. To comfort him, and tell him he was loved. Someone to be proud of him. If he had only one person to care for him, his life wouldn't be so unbearable. But instead, no one could stand to have him anywhere near them.

He thought about all the terrible things he'd done. All the people he'd killed, their bodies here in this cavern. Would he somehow pay for it? Would he be punished for what he'd done?

Will there be retribution, he wondered.

Without warning, there was a loud, heavy clanging sound from above. Gaara turned his tear-streaked face up to the circle of light, the well entrance, and what he saw made him go cold with fear. The circle became a half moon before disappearing completely. Someone had covered over the well, shutting off Gaara's only escape from this place. He was plunged into complete darkness. The cavern was dark before, but now it was pitch black.

He looked around frantically, but he might as well have had his eyes closed. He closed his eyes, then opened them, closed them, opened them, until he couldn't remember whether they were closed or open anymore. Either way, he could see nothing. A terrible sense of foreboding crept over him, a shiver coursing down his spine. Maybe this is it, he wondered. Maybe this is my punishment, this is where I pay for what I've done.

His thoughts were interrupted by a noise from the depths of the cavern behind him.

He froze, instantly recognising the sound. The noise came again. A deep, predatory growl that was so low in pitch it resonated through Gaara's flesh and into his bones. Even the pebbles on the floor rattled, reverberating from the sound. The small boy was paralysed with fear, unable to turn around, knowing what he would see when he did.

There was the sound of heavy movement coming towards him, getting closer and closer. It stopped, directly behind him. Gaara could feel puffs of burning-hot breath against the back of his neck. He was shaking now.

There was a vicious rumbling chuckle directly beside Gaara's ear.

"Did you really think you'd escaped me, Vessel?"

Gaara gulped and turned slowly, and saw exactly what he'd predicted. Two huge, bloodthirsty, yellow eyes. Shukaku. Gaara squeezed his eyes shut tightly and waited for the death he knew he deserved.

There was a final stab of terror and Gaara jolted awake.

"Shit" he gasped.

He tried desperately to breathe, attempting to steady his erratic heartbeat. Wave after wave of panic seized his already overworked heart, sickening him with fear. He was soaking wet, sweat pouring down his body, tickling his skin. He was shaking violently, and his mind was in chaos, devoid of any coherent thoughts. All he could hear was the pounding of his heart mingled with the unrelenting shriek of terror in his mind, drowning everything else out.

He felt an arm tighten around him and he thrashed, trying to get away.

"Ughh! No!" he cried out. He was met by worried tones.

"Gaara? What's wrong? Are you ok?"

He turned and saw Naoko's face in the moonlight that filtered through a gap in the curtains. She looked up at him, her eyes filled with concern and apprehension. He breathed a heavy sigh of intense relief as his hands found her familiar form. Everything was ok; he was alive, and he was loved, and Shukaku was gone. Naoko's arms tightened around him.

"Was it another nightmare?" she asked softly.

"Yes" he replied, still panting.

He'd recently started suffering with these nightmares, and they were becoming more and more frequent.

"Maybe you've been working too hard. It's probably just stress. You've been so busy lately" she soothed.

She reached her hand up and brushed his forehead, slicking away the sweat. She could feel his body still shaking against her. Her eyes welled up with tears and she sat up, grabbing him and pulling him into a cuddle. Her arms wound around his head, pulling him to her bosom comfortingly. She stroked his hair gently and rested her chin on his head. She couldn't bear to see him like this. She pressed her face into his damp hair and whispered comforting things. He nuzzled his face into her chest and neck, and his arms wound around her waist, holding her tightly.

"Its ok Tiger, its ok. It was just a dream." Her voice soothed him and he began to relax.

They stayed like that for a while.

Just when Naoko thought he'd fallen asleep against her, he spoke.

"Naoko, I did so many bad things…"

His words stabbed at Naoko's heart, and she continued to cradle him in her arms, a tear rolling down her cheek for his suffering.

"Gaara…" she whispered. "Gaara… it's over. It's all in the past. Whatever you did, you can't blame yourself for it. It wasn't your fault."

He gently pulled away from her and turned his face up to hers, meeting her gaze directly with the vulnerable eyes of the lost little boy who would forever be curled up somewhere within him.

"Naoko, I would have killed you. The person I was didn't care about anyone. I would have killed even you without a second thought. I was a monster."

"No! No you weren't. You were you, and Shukaku was Shukaku… You were never the monster, Gaara… never…" she stroked his clammy forehead, her fingertips lovingly tracing the kanji that was their daughter's namesake.

"You're a good man. Your people trust you. I trust you."

They were interrupted by the sound of choked snuffling from another room. Before long, they realised it was the sound of crying. They exchanged glances. It certainly wasn't Kizuki crying; he'd make much more racket. And Ai was such a quiet baby she never really cried. Naoko clambered out of bed and left the room to investigate.

She crept down the hall and approached the spare room where the silent boy was sleeping. Pressing her ear to the door she realised that the crying was indeed coming from him. She opened the door softly so as not to alarm him. Sure enough, he was crouched on the floor beside the bed, arms wrapped tightly around himself, crying quietly. Naoko switched on the light.

"Hey sweetie… what's wrong?" she inquired softly, but obviously received no answer. Not that she'd expected one; she was used to his silence by now.

The little boy looked up at her with harrowing grey eyes. The same eyes as Gaara. The eyes of a lost little boy. He continued to cry. But even in sorrow he was quiet. No vocal sound left his mouth – only little breaths and sniffles indicated that he was crying. Tears poured down his cheeks. He was the very picture of grief. Naoko was desperately curious to know what had happened to this boy that made him so inconsolable.

She reached out to him and he flinched violently, as if expecting her to hurt him. She didn't though. She picked the small boy up firmly with the decisive security of a mother and sat him on the bed before sitting next to him. She pulled the boy into a protective hug.

"Sshh… its ok… nothing's going to hurt you here…" she lulled. The boy was stiff in her arms as if he didn't know what to do, or as if he didn't trust her. She pulled away and smiled brightly.

"I know just the thing to make you feel better!" she chirped, "My mother used to do this for me when I couldn't sleep" and with that, she disappeared from the room.

The boy remained motionless on the bed, very confused. He was apprehensive as to what this strange woman was planning. She reappeared again after a few minutes, holding a mug of something. She gently handed it to him, making sure he had hold of it properly so it wouldn't spill. The boy held it away from himself. He eyed it suspiciously. Naoko laughed.

"Don't worry, it's not dangerous!" she reassured him.

The boy gazed at her vacantly, as if testing her truthfulness. Then he looked back at the mug.

"It's cocoa. You're supposed to drink it…" Naoko prompted. Still he didn't move.

"Y'know, cocoa… hot chocolate…? Trust me, it'll make you feel better. Go on, try it" she urged.

The boy slowly brought the cup to his lips and took a tiny sip. He'd never tried this drink before. He recoiled a little, not expecting such an intense sweetness, but he finally decided that he liked the taste and began to drink leisurely. Naoko ruffled the child's white-blond hair. She decided not to talk, as she probably wouldn't receive an answer.

The boy looked sleepy as he finished the warm drink, his eyelids heavy. Naoko took the empty mug from him and moved him back into bed, pulling the covers up over him. He closed his eyes for a few seconds before snapping them open. He blinked groggily and closed his eyes again. Naoko smiled and stroked his smooth hair.

"See… told you it works" she whispered, switching off the light.

She made her way back to her own room.

"Feeling better?" she whispered to her husband as she shuffled back into bed. There was no reply. He'd already gone back to sleep. Naoko smiled and settled back to sleep herself.

--

Morning went by as usual. The only thing that was different from the family's normal routine was the presence of the silent boy. They all had breakfast and today was Naoko's day off, so she was looking after the kids, as well as her niece Sumire and the silent boy. Gaara set off to work.

The first thing that met Gaara that morning as he approached his office was Setsuko. He'd still not recovered from the nightmare he'd had, and the last thing he needed was someone who reminded him of his past. Setsuko smiled happily at him.

"Good morning Lord Kazekage!" she greeted. Gaara blinked a couple of times before replying.

"Setsuko… I wasn't expecting you… is there a problem?" he asked blankly.

"No, no, of course not. I just thought it would be nice if we spent some time together today. We have a lot of catching up to do!" her musical voice coaxed. Gaara shifted slightly.

"I apologise, but I have to work--" she cut him off.

"It's not a problem, Gaara. I've already spoken to your head secretary and he says you're not busy until around 10 o' clock… which gives us an hour and a half to get properly reacquainted."

Gaara's hairless brow furrowed a little and he seemed slightly guilty at the idea of slacking off of work. Setsuko sensed his reluctance.

"Come on… do it for an old friend…" she persuaded, a hopeful smile on her lips.

He finally nodded. Afterall, maybe it would do him good to get out and have a break from routine.

"Ok" he confirmed. Setsuko smiled, satisfied.

The two of them made their way out into the village and strolled slowly through the streets. The air was warm. They chatted about light topics: the weather, the village, Gaara's role as Kazekage. Conversation with Setsuko was strangely relaxing, and Gaara soon found himself comfortable with her. Even after all these years, their friendship was rekindled immediately. They stopped at a small teahouse and sat down at a table.

"You sneaky devil!" came a gruff voice from behind the counter.

Gaara and Setsuko turned to where the voice had come from. It was a large, burly man with darkly tanned skin, heavy stubble and a mop of dark brown hair. He looked to be in his fifties, but a roguish, playful grin gave him the look of someone who was forever young at heart. His mischievous eyes were set on Gaara amusedly.

Gaara knew him; he was called Jun, and he was the owner of the teahouse. He was an acquaintance of Gaara and Naoko, and Naoko was particularly fond of him. He was the sort of guy who was friends with everyone, and being a bit of a gossip, he knew everyone's business. Rather than having immense respect for the Kazekage (as mostly everyone else did), Jun treated Gaara kind of like a son, and enjoyed teasing and aggravating the young Kazekage.

"What are you talking about?" Gaara replied, equally as gruff.

Jun let out a raspy laugh.

"One woman not enough for you, eh? Wait until I tell Naoko you've got one on the side, you sly rascal" he joked, brown eyes glittering.

Gaara willed himself not to blush, and gave Jun the fiercest scowl he could muster, causing Jun to laugh himself senseless. Setsuko found herself joining in with his infectious laughter, and she laughed even harder when she saw the look on Gaara's face.

"Jun, you're an idiot. Setsuko's just a friend" Gaara sniped bitterly.

Jun brought over two cups of hot tea, putting them down on the table. Then he ruffled Gaara's hair roughly.

"It's on the house" he sang cheerfully. Then he turned to Setsuko. "If you need anything, my beautiful lady, you just let me know" he said with a wink before making his merry way back to the counter, singing as he went. Gaara just rolled his eyes and turned to Setsuko, who was still giggling.

"I apologise for his behaviour… he can be quite course" Gaara said tonelessly.

"Don't worry… he's rather charming" came Setsuko's breezy reply.

Gaara snorted slightly. "That's what my wife thinks"

At the mention of Naoko, Setsuko's smile faded slightly, although still noticeably. As soon as she realised this, she reset her face to a smile.

"Ah yes, your wife… Naoko was it? She seems nice," Setsuko said pleasantly.

Gaara cracked a small smile at this. He'd never thought of Naoko as 'nice' before; exhilarating - yes, tempestuous - possibly, perplexing – probably. Captivating – definitely. But 'nice'? 'Nice' was an adjective that was just too ordinary for someone as complex and fascinating as Naoko. Setsuko raised her eyebrows questioningly as Gaara smiled. He decided not to elaborate.

"I think so too" he replied simply. He decided it would be easier to just leave it at that.

Setsuko sipped her tea daintily. "So how did the two of you meet?" she inquired.

"It was about four and a half years ago. She's an electrical engineer, so she was in Suna to fix some technical problems. She marched into my office and insulted me" Gaara replied blankly.

Setsuko nearly choked on her tea. "She did what?"

Gaara smiled again. "That was the first lesson I learnt about Naoko: she doesn't like being told what to do."

Setsuko traced a finger around the rim of her teacup absent-mindedly. "So she's not a ninja?" she asked, thinking it odd that a Kage would marry a non-ninja.

"No. And its probably a good thing she's not - she's too careless. She'd probably be dead by now if she was a ninja"

Setsuko giggled.

"But I'm hoping our children will be great shinobi one day" he stated proudly.

Setsuko's eyes widened. "You have… children?" she asked, unable to keep the surprise from her voice.

"Yes. Our son, Kizuki, is two years old, and our daughter, Ai, is approaching five months now" he answered. Setsuko smiled amicably, as always.

"Well, it sounds like you've been busy while I've been away" she said wistfully. She decided to change the subject. She had been curious to find out about this Naoko, and her and Gaara's relationship, but now she was sick of hearing about Gaara's unworthy wife.

"I wish I could claim to have found someone special" she sighed.

"Well Jun certainly seemed interested in you" jested Gaara.

Setsuko laughed. "Somehow I don't think he's my type" she giggled, but quickly turned serious again. "To be honest, I'm not really very close to anyone… not since you…" she said.

Gaara looked at her, immediately meeting her deep blue eyes. Evidently, the loss of their friendship had impacted as deeply on her as it had for him. He recognised the loneliness in her eyes. He reached for her hand and tried to comfort her. She squeezed his hand lightly, caressing it with her thumb, enjoying the contact with him.

"Setsuko… you…" he sighed, not really knowing what to say. "You're very beautiful… I'm sure you'll find someone," he said sincerely.

I already have, and he's sat right in front of me, she mused silently as she gazed into his aquamarine eyes.

--

Later that day, Gaara was sat eating lunch in his office. He was trying to read some documents, but his mind kept flitting back to Setsuko. When they'd said goodbye earlier, she had hugged him close, nuzzling into him, to which Jun had raised his eyebrows. Gaara knew that it was inappropriate to hold someone that way when they were just meant to be friends, but he couldn't really reject her. Upon meeting with her again, he remembered just how much he'd missed her as a child, and he still cared about her a lot. And he meant what he'd said: she was _very_ beautiful. He couldn't deny it. He had agreed to meet with her again soon. Was it the right thing to do? He wasn't sure. He knew Naoko wouldn't be happy about it.

He was broken out of his thoughts as a heavy knock pounded on the door, causing Gaara to drop some mustard on the document he was meant to be studying.

"Enter" he announced. The door slid open and Kankuro paced into the room. He had a serious expression on his face. This didn't happen very often, indicating that he had something very important to say.

"Gaara, we've got a bit of a situation" Kankuro affirmed. Gaara motioned for his brother to continue.

"We've had reports of children going missing." He paused, waiting for Gaara's response.

Gaara's brow furrowed slightly, his lips straight. "Kankuro, it's not a shinobi's job to find a spoilt little brat who decides to run away from home."

Kankuro grimaced. "No, but, its not that that's alarming, Gaara… it's the sheer number of them. Fifty children have been reported missing in the last couple of days."

Gaara's mouth dropped open slightly. "Fifty children?"

"Yeah" Kankuro replied. "Gone, without a trace. Just disappeared."

Gaara sat silently, piecing together the information in his mind. Fifty Sunagakure children. Disappeared. In just two days? His brain ran through the immediate possibilities… maybe it was some kind of conspiracy, or a cult they had joined… or maybe they were kidnapped…

"Nothing like this has ever happened before," Gaara said, almost as if talking to himself.

"I know. It's strange… kinda creepy" Kankuro added. He stepped forward and handed a folder to Gaara. "Here are the names and details of all the children who have gone missing."

Gaara flipped the folder open and glanced at the first child.

Name: Tsukiko

Family name: Tanaka

Age: 7

A small mug shot showed a little girl with fine, light brown hair in pigtails, and ice blue eyes. She smiled shyly towards the camera. Gaara snapped the folder shut.

"The first thing we should do is take statements… visit the parents… find out when each of the children were last seen, and the kind of circumstances surrounding their disappearance." Gaara announced decisively.

--

The first thing Gaara heard when he arrived home later that day was Naoko's voice.

"KIZUKI, PUT THE FRYING PAN DOWN!!"

Gaara made his way towards the kitchen to see Naoko putting a rather large and heavy frying pan back into a cupboard as Kizuki ran around after the cat. Gaara leaned in the doorway, having not been noticed yet.

"Kizuki, what are you doing?" he inquired.

Kizuki's wide eyes lit up when he saw his father. He ran at the man in the doorway and latched on to his legs.

"Daddy!!"

Gaara let out a little chuckle as he picked up his child. He tossed Kizuki up into the air, before catching him and setting him down. Kizuki squealed and wobbled over to his cousin Sumire, who was currently sat in front of the silent boy on the far side of the room. Sumire moved her face in front of the boy, their faces about a centimeter apart.

"Helloooo?" she shouted. He didn't answer of course. He didn't even blink. Sumire frowned. "Doesn't he EVER talk?!" she asked, prodding him.

"Sumire, don't be rude" Naoko chastised her niece.

"HELLOOOO!!" Kizuki screamed, bouncing. When the boy predictably didn't respond, Kizuki turned around to face everyone. "Nobody's in" he announced.

Ai, who was lying on a soft mat on the floor surrounded by teddy bears, reached out a hand towards Gaara. She babbled some baby noises at him. He scooped the fragile baby into his arms before quickly putting her down again.

"Cchhh!!"

Naoko turned to her husband, who was shaking his arms around and flexing his fingers. A crackle of static electricity lingered in the air. Naoko chortled.

"Aww, did she shock you again?" she giggled.

"Hn… damn Kekkei Genkai" Gaara murmured.

Naoko approached her husband and leaned in to kiss him, but stopped suddenly, a mere inch from his lips. Her nose caught the scent of perfume and she sniffed. Then she drew away from him, folding her arms and looking annoyed.

"You smell like girl" she announced, quirking a brow and tapping her foot, waiting for his explanation. No explanation came. Gaara's face remained blank, and he shuffled slightly. Naoko frowned.

"You met with that Setsuko woman didn't you?"

He sighed and began to make his way out of the kitchen.

"Gaara, don't ignore me! Why didn't you tell me you were going to meet her?" Naoko pressed.

"It wasn't planned, she just turned up at my office this morning" he called as he started up the stairs. He really didn't need this right now, what with the fact that he hadn't yet recovered from the haunting effects of the nightmare and the issue of the missing children. He couldn't be bothered to argue. He retreated to the peace and quiet of the bedroom, sitting down on the edge of the bed and massaging his temples slightly. He closed his eyes and allowed his mind to go completely blank. The clamour from downstairs faded as he allowed the conscious world to slip away from him. With his eyes closed, his mind began to see shifting shapes in the darkness that were there one second and gone the next.

Suddenly, with no plausible explanation, he realised he wasn't alone in the room. He snapped his eyes open again to find that he was right. Stood in the doorway was the silent little boy. He'd followed Gaara upstairs. Their eyes met. There seemed to be a tangible energy radiating from the child, and Gaara could almost hear a slight buzzing sound. The boy's eyes were inattentive and unfocused as usual. He seemed to be looking straight at Gaara, and yet at the same time, he wasn't looking at Gaara at all. It was as if he was examining air molecules in the space between them. How could someone seem so intense and so faraway at the same time? The boy's clouded, stormy grey eyes betrayed a disturbing sense of knowing. Suddenly, the child jolted and seemed to snap back to reality, focusing on Gaara completely.

"You dreamt about Shukaku last night, didn't you?"

Gaara blinked. The boy just… spoke?!

Gaara tried to reply; it came out in a whisper. "How… how did you know that?! How _could _you know that?!"

The boy stood silently for a few seconds with his head cocked to the side, as if gauging Gaara's response. Finally, when the boy seemed to deem it safe, he answered Gaara's question.

"I saw it. I _felt _it"

Gaara realised that the hairs on his body were standing on end. He looked at his arms. Goosebumps. This child had seen his dream. He'd felt his dream. Gaara now realised why the boy had been crying last night.

"But how?" Gaara asked, truly stunned.

"I… know… things…" the boy enunciated disjointedly. Gaara's brow furrowed slightly in puzzlement.

One of the first things that Gaara noticed about the boy's voice was his accent. He spoke with the same smooth, lilting tone and Northern dialect as Naoko. So the boy wasn't from Suna afterall.

"You're from Kumogakure, the village hidden in the clouds, like Naoko" Gaara said softly.

"Yes" the boy answered simply, before turning to leave the room just as silently as he had arrived.

"Wait!" Gaara called. "Before you go, I need to know your name. You must tell me your name".

The boy gazed at Gaara vacantly for a few seconds, and when he seemed to decide that Gaara was worthy, he answered.

"…My name… is Shiraha…"

--

Title translation

Meibatsu- 'Retribution' or 'Divine Punishment' (Thanks Internetastic!)

--

A/N: Please review :D


	5. Himitsu

Chapter 5: Himitsu

A/N: Ok, so, I will no longer be able to update this story as often as I had hoped because I'm working a LOT of hours over the next couple of months, doing long shifts with no days off (I need the money)… And then I start university. But I will still try to update as often as I can. I've had hiccups for the last half-hour and it's driving me crazy.

--

Recap:

Suddenly, with no plausible explanation, Gaara realised he wasn't alone in the room. He snapped his eyes open again to find that he was right. Stood in the doorway was the silent little boy. There seemed to be a tangible energy radiating from the child, and Gaara could almost hear a slight buzzing sound. The boy's eyes were inattentive and unfocused as usual. He seemed to be looking straight at Gaara, and yet at the same time, he wasn't looking at Gaara at all. It was as if he was looking for air molecules in the space between them. The boy's clouded, stormy grey eyes betrayed a disturbing sense of knowing. Suddenly, the child jolted and seemed to snap back to reality, focusing on Gaara completely.

"You dreamt about Shukaku last night, didn't you?"

Gaara blinked. The boy just… spoke?!

Gaara tried to reply; it came out in a whisper. "How… how did you know that?! How _could _you know that?!"

The boy stood silently for a few seconds with his head cocked to the side, as if gauging Gaara's response. Finally, when the boy seemed to deem it safe, he answered Gaara's question.

"I saw it. I _felt _it"

Gaara realised that the hairs on his body were standing on end. He looked at his arms. Goosebumps. This child had seen his dream. He'd felt his dream. Gaara now realised why the boy had been crying last night.

"But how?" Gaara asked, truly stunned.

"I… know… things…" the boy enunciated disjointedly. Gaara's brow furrowed slightly in puzzlement.

One of the first things that Gaara noticed about the boy's voice was his accent. He had the same smooth, lilting tone and Northern dialect as Naoko. So the boy wasn't from Suna afterall.

"You're from Kumogakure, the village hidden in the clouds, like Naoko" Gaara said softly.

"Yes" the boy answered simply, before turning to leave the room just as silently as he had arrived.

"Wait!" Gaara called. "Before you go, I need to know your name. You must tell me your name".

The boy gazed at Gaara vacantly for a few seconds, and when he seemed to decide that Gaara was worthy, he answered.

"…My name… is Shiraha…"

--

--

Chapter 5: Himitsu

Gaara stared at the empty doorway as the boy called Shiraha shuffled off downstairs. The boy's voice seemed to linger hollowly in the room. Gaara blinked and rubbed his eyes. His brain felt like it was stuffed full of cotton wool. The strange sensation soon wore off though. He yawned and pulled his ears, and the buzzing noise seemed to disappear. That is, if it had even been there in the first place. At this moment in time, Gaara was having trouble distinguishing fact from imagination. Shiraha's presence had been so powerful, so charged, that it had left a viscid and almost numinous imprint in the ether of the room.

Gaara took a few minutes to recover from the surreal experience. His mind began to work more fluently again, and he mulled the situation over. The child had finally spoken, but Gaara was still none the wiser. In fact, he now had even more questions than before.

"I… know… things…"

Gaara reminisced Shiraha's words. He _knows _things?! What did he mean by that? Shiraha's explanation had been spectral to say the least. Was the boy connected with the missing children? It was an obvious question; a mysterious stray child suddenly shows up at around the same time as fifty others go missing… surely that couldn't be a mere coincidence?

Gaara hauled himself off the bed and picked up the file he'd thrown down. He opened it and began sifting through the pages. It was the file that contained the details of all the missing children. He began searching for Shiraha. He scanned page after page, reading name after name, viewing endless photographs of innocent children, one after the other. He reached the last page of the document. Shiraha wasn't in there. He put the folder down.

In spite of the multitude of questions Gaara already had, another question arose in his mind. Why had the boy chosen to speak to _him_ of all people? It would have made more sense for Shiraha to speak to Naoko before anyone else… afterall, she was friendly, caring and protective, plus she too was a native of Kumogakure, the same as Shiraha. It made sense that the timid little boy would have trusted _her_. But Gaara? Gaara knew he appeared cold and intimidating, and possibly rather frightening to the little boy. So why on earth did Shiraha choose Gaara? Could it be that he felt some kind of connection with the Kazekage?

Gaara made a mental note of tonight's occurrences before returning downstairs. Now he had to contend with his difficult wife.

--

Temari came by to take Sumire home. Dinner went by solemnly, with the exception of Kizuki, who insisted on eating his meal under the kitchen table with Psycho Cat. Every so often he jabbed his father in the leg with a chopstick before laughing maniacally. Everyone else ate in silence. Ai sat in her high chair quietly. Shiraha toyed with his food absent-mindedly, having inexplicably reverted back to soundlessness, once again as silent as an arctic winter's night. Naoko and Gaara didn't speak a word to each other. Gaara felt awkward. In deadly battle he had no sense of fear, and he was cold, confident and unshakable in any kind of confrontation – basically the guy had guts. But if there was one thing he feared, it was confrontations with Naoko. The truth is that they hardly ever argued. But on the rare occasions when they did, it was always explosive. Naoko had a fearsome temper, as did Gaara. These situations usually occurred around a certain hormonal time of the month when Naoko became uncharacteristically irritable, but Gaara had long since memorised this cycle and learned to tread carefully. But this time was different. It was strange, and Gaara didn't like it one bit.

After dinner, Gaara put the children to bed before retreating into the living room to watch some TV. Naoko began to wash the dishes. She was slowly beginning to regret her previous jealousy. She started to doubt herself. She'd always been at ease with her self-identity, she'd always thought she knew herself well. But these new feelings were causing her to question that. Was she really this bitter? Gaara had plenty of fangirls in Suna, but it had never bothered Naoko before. So why was it different with this 'Setsuko' girl? The two had been childhood friends, so why was Naoko trying to deprive her husband of this chance to reunite? Naoko questioned herself again and again, hating herself for feeling this way. Afterall, Naoko knew that Gaara would never betray her… right?

But it didn't change the fact that there was a deep and loathsome jealousy churning through her body. She was discovering a part of herself that she really didn't like.

She finished putting the clean dishes away and walked through into the living room where Gaara was currently reclined. Upon seeing Naoko approaching him, he gave a sideways glance at the gourd in the corner of the room, as if considering self-defense. But Naoko's solemn green eyes expressed other intentions. She sat down on the couch beside him and when she didn't attack Gaara relaxed a little.

"I'm sorry" she said quietly. She kept her eyes down, staring into her lap. Gaara cupped her chin with a gentle hand and tilted her face upto his. Her eyes met with familiar aquamarine.

"I just… I don't know what's wrong with me. I can't stand to have her near you" she tried to explain.

"Why Naoko? Why do you hate her? This isn't like you. You don't even know her. Just give her a chance," Gaara said softly.

A furrow appeared between Naoko's brows and her eyes began to glitter with barely restrained tears.

"I know… I just…" she let out a strained breath as a tear rolled down her cheek. "I love you Gaara" she whispered.

He faltered. He always hated to see Naoko cry. He wiped the tear from her cheek with his thumb before grabbing the waistband of her jeans and pulling her close. His arms wrapped around her securely.

"And I love you" he answered. She turned her face to his and he captured her lips in a slow, steady kiss. Naoko felt all her anxieties melt away. Her irrational behaviour seemed ridiculous to her now; she had a husband whom she knew loved her, and two precious children. But suddenly Gaara pulled away, with a strained and disappointed expression. Naoko looked at him with worried eyes.

"What is it?" she asked nervously.

He sighed heavily. "If it causes you so much pain, then… I won't see her again."

It was obvious that this was not what Gaara wanted, but Naoko simply nodded, secretly relieved.

Gaara proceeded to tell Naoko about Shiraha. About how he had finally spoken, and the fact that he knew about the dream. Gaara offloaded all the facts, precisely and efficiently, even down to the tiniest little detail. He explained his suspicions and queries. Naoko simply listened, slightly shocked. When he'd finished, there was a silence.

--

"Please calm down Mrs Tanaka," came Gaara's calm but authoritative voice.

It was the next day, and both Gaara and Kankuro were currently in the house of the Tanaka family, taking statements. In front of Gaara was the mother of Tsukiko Tanaka: one of the missing children. The woman was doubled up on the floor, wailing and crying with heartbreaking despair. Kankuro squirmed uncomfortably, not knowing how to react to such an unrestrained display of grief. Gaara, however, kept his composure. The woman looked up at him. Her eyes were bloodshot and sore.

"Please Lord Kazekage! She's all I have in the world! My only child! Please, please save her… bring her back to me! You once saved the entire village, Lord Kazekage… now, I beg you, save my daughter!"

The woman stumbled exhaustedly, trying to stand up. Gaara took her elbow firmly and guided her to her feet.

"Are you sure there's nothing else you remember, Mrs Tanaka? Anything your daughter said, anything suspicious, anything you saw?" he pressed.

The poor woman broke down again, sobbing and shaking.

"There's nothing else I can tell you" she answered bitterly, as if blaming herself for not knowing more. The woman suddenly looked up at Gaara, straight into his eyes, taking Gaara somewhat by surprise. She took his face in her hands in one last plea.

"Lord Kazekage, I know you have children too… imagine losing one of them."

Gaara's stomach twisted as she said this, shattering the impassive, detached composure he was such an expert at maintaining. The mask cracked. The woman picked up on his reaction.

"Bring my Tsukiko back to me… please…" she whispered.

"I'll do everything I can…" he answered firmly, too shaken to notice that he'd said 'I', rather than the usual 'we'.

--

Setsuko was sat alone in the teahouse. It was lunchtime. She was situated at a table tucked away right in the corner. Jun had served her green tea and a snack of lobster, and she stabbed at the dead crustacean malignantly, pushing it around her plate. She wasn't hungry. Jun waved at her from the counter with a big grin and a wink.

"Idiotic man" Setsuko sneered under her breath.

Setsuko was an impatient person. As the sole child of an important Lord, she was used to getting what she wanted, exactly when she wanted it. Similarly, she was astonishingly beautiful, and had her choice of any man she desired. But she couldn't have the man she desired, and this made her more determined to obtain him. She was calculating possible solutions to this little dilemma. Manipulation was one of her main skills, and it had served her well in life. She was wealthy and didn't need a job, so obviously she was bored much of the time. And so, because of this, she had developed an enjoyment of meddling in people's lives and manipulating them maliciously in order to pass the time of day. Such a skill could be useful now, she surmised.

Just as she had thought this, two people entered the teahouse. The door was at the other side of the room from where Setsuko was, so they didn't notice her, instead taking a table at the opposite end. Setsuko sank down in her seat. It was Gaara and Naoko. Setsuko's eyes settled on Naoko. She'd only seen her in person once, so she wanted to get another look at her.

Her eyes scanned over the form of the raven-haired girl. Her hair was matte and slightly messy. A bright smile was set upon her pink lips and there was a bounce in every step she took. Setsuko examined the girl's figure, noting her petite and slender frame. She wore a grey t-shirt scattered with smudges of black (possibly oil), and black jeans. A black tool-belt hung over her hips loosely. Today's attire was a far cry from the elegant dress she had worn on the day they met. Setsuko sneered inwardly. Unlike Naoko, Setsuko always dressed finely, and prided herself for it. But looking at this grubby woman she wondered what on earth Gaara saw in her. She stabbed the lobster again.

Naoko and Gaara were seated now, waiting to be served, but Jun hadn't noticed them. He was busying himself arranging the patisseries on display.

"Ahem!" Naoko cleared her throat. "The service in this place sucks!" she joked loudly. Jun heard this and perked his head up over the display counter. His lips quirked into a mischievous smile.

"Naoko! I'd know that attitude anywhere" he replied.

He brought two cups of tea to their table. Gaara and Naoko settled into conversation. Setsuko watched them with all the intensity of a medical student observing an autopsy. She mused on how different the two of them were – Naoko smiled a lot and chatted away, whereas Gaara looked rather stern, with an air of seriousness, but despite their extreme differences, they seemed content. Soon though, Naoko stood up from her chair. Gaara rose also and took her in a gentle kiss. His hands cupped her hips. The tenderness between them was sincere. Setsuko tensed with envy at the sight of a commoner kissing the man who should have always been Setsuko's.

Naoko and Gaara parted and Naoko made her way out of the teahouse and probably back to work, Setsuko deduced. Gaara settled back at the table, unfolding a crumpled newspaper. The coast was clear. Setsuko grasped her chance.

"Lord Gaara" she said as she sashayed over to his table.

He lifted his head from the newspaper and raised his brow.

"Hello Setsuko" he answered in a monotone, before checking out of the window to make sure Naoko was out of sight.

"Do you mind…?" she asked, sitting at the table before he could answer.

He grimaced; he wasn't looking forward to telling her that they could no longer see each other.

"What's wrong?" she inquired, sensing his discomfort. "Relationship problems?" she asked hopefully.

Gaara sighed, and that was answer enough for Setsuko.

"I'm not to see you again" he said.

Setsuko's mouth formed a little o shape. Evidently, Naoko found her to be a threat. She fought to keep herself from smiling.

"Is that what _you _want, Gaara?" she asked carefully.

Gaara didn't respond at first and there was a small silence.

"Not really" he finally answered, suddenly surveying her with his piercing sea-green eyes.

"Well then what's the problem?" came her sweet voice. "If you want to see me, and I want to see you, then Naoko has nothing to do with it."

"She has everything to do with it. She's my wife"

"If she really cares about you, why would she deprive you of a long-lost friendship?". Gaara remained expressionless, not giving away any signs of his thoughts on the matter. Setsuko continued.

"I'm right in thinking that we had something special, yes? We were important to each other. And now we've found each other again, and we can be there for one another. We can help each other a lot. I think you deserve a good friend, Gaara. You shouldn't allow yourself to be controlled by her… Afterall, we were close years before you even knew she existed". She brushed a dainty hand through her chocolate brown hair.

Gaara mused on this. He felt awkward, his loyalty torn between his childhood best friend and his wife. Even though he didn't want to upset Naoko, he couldn't bring himself to reject Setsuko. Setsuko seemed to reunite him with a part of himself he'd forgotten, memories he'd lost long ago. The child he once was, before his innocent life had been forever tarnished by fate's events. He thought back to the dreams he'd been having. The guilt. The regret. The fear. The nightmares that haunted him. He wondered… Perhaps Setsuko could help him find a way to deal with the past… Maybe Setsuko was the key…

He let out a long sigh. "Maybe you're right."

Setsuko allowed a stunning, satisfied smile to grace her face.

"…But it's better if no one knows" Gaara added, glancing around the teahouse cautiously.

"Of course" Setsuko chirped, "We wouldn't want Naoko to get upset. That would be the last thing I'd want" she lied.

She stood up. "I'm going now Gaara, I have a couple of magazine interviews this afternoon" she announced nonchalantly. "But we'll meet again soon, yes?" she urged.

Gaara rose politely from his seat to say goodbye, but before he knew what was happening, Setsuko's lips closed over his. Her hands wound around his broad shoulders. Her mouth was closed and the kiss was fairly chaste, but she held the kiss for a little too long for it to be classed as merely 'friendly'. She pulled away, and Gaara stared blankly, completely taken aback.

"Don't worry about Naoko. She won't find out about us… it's our little secret," she smiled and with that, she flounced out of the teahouse, heels clicking as she went.

Gaara was still frozen to the spot, unaware that Jun was watching the whole scenario.

"Well, would you look at that. She hardly ate any of the lobster. What a waste." Jun grumbled.

Finally the young Kazekage composed himself, but the only thoughts in his mind were…

"Shit. What the hell have I got myself into?"

--

Naoko returned from work. For once Gaara would actually be home from work before her. She'd had a busy day, preparing a foreign order, getting it ready to be exported. It was late and the moon was high in the inky sky. She entered her home and took off her coat. Upon entering the living room, she was met by a heartwarming sight. Asleep on the couch was her husband, his fiery mussed-up red hair splayed over his forehead and face with stray tufts sticking out cutely. Soft breaths escaped his slightly open mouth. Naoko smiled. Kizuki was at the other end of the couch, also asleep, cuddled around one of Gaara's legs. Baby Ai was lying flat out, face down on her father's bare chest, her little hands curled up. She liked to sleep like that, as most babies do. Gaara and Naoko had assumed it was because she was comforted by the sound of her parents' beating heart.

Naoko glanced across the room at the armchair beside the window. There was Shiraha, curled up with his arms wrapped around himself, also fast asleep. He looked so small, so alone. Naoko's heart twinged painfully for the poor, stray child.

She walked over to the television set, which had been left on. She switched it off before noticing a shuffling, groaning sound coming from the sofa. She turned to see Gaara, newly awake. He rubbed his eyes groggily and yawned before squinting in Naoko's direction.

"Naoko?" he growled huskily.

She walked over and ruffled his hair. "You let the kids stay up late to watch television again, didn't you?" she sighed, but smiled none the less.

Gaara grabbed her hand and scattered a few soft kisses over her knuckles.

"You're a pushover when it comes to those children, you know that?" she teased. His lips tickled as they brushed lightly across her hand.

"Oh no, don't start with that!" she chuckled, "You wont pacify me that easily. Go put the children to bed" she told him.

--

Title translation:

Himitsu – Secret / Secrecy


	6. Kyuuseika no Kokuei

Chapter 6: Kyuuseika no Kokuei

"That's my daddy!" Kizuki announced, stating the obvious to Shiraha. The infant Sabaku's tiny chubby finger pointed towards the man on the sofa.

Shiraha didn't respond, seemingly unaware of the two-year-old chattering away beside him. Shiraha simply observed the Kazekage. Gaara was settled on the couch, his morning coffee on the table beside him. In his arms, a small baby rested contentedly. His daughter. She gazed up at him quietly, still sleepy-eyed. Every so often she raised a little hand to poke her father. She reached out and prodded his lips. He opened his mouth and pretended to gobble her fingers. The baby let out a small squeak of delight and smiled giddily. She poked his mouth again.

"Mouth" Gaara told her, enunciating the word carefully in the hope that she would start to learn the words. He watched her proudly. Her wide eyes seemed to understand. The baby poked his nose with a forceful finger.

"Nose" Gaara told her.

Next, the baby poked him in the eye.

"Ouch… eye…" he said, rubbing his sore, watery eye.

His daughter let out a gurgly giggle, suddenly excited. There was a faint crackly buzzing sound.

"TSS! OUCH! … NAOKO, WHEN WILL THIS CHILD LEARN TO CONTROL THAT DAMNED KEKKEI GENKAI?!"

Naoko answered from the kitchen with a wicked laugh.

"You shouldn't get her all excited!" his wife sang with an 'it serves you right' tone to her voice.

"That's easy for you to say, it doesn't affect you - you're immune to it… I'm the one getting electrocuted every 5 seconds…" he grumbled.

"Well you'll just have to put up with it for a few years until she's old enough for me to train her." Naoko answered.

During this whole scenario, Shiraha kept his gaze fixed firmly on Gaara. He watched the Kazekage, studying his movements, the way he interacted with Ai. Shiraha silently observed the mechanisms of a family. Needless to say, he was a perceptive boy, more used to studying behaviour from a distance rather than being directly involved. Years of isolation and captivity had left him unfamiliar with other humans, and so he was enthralled by what he witnessed here. More than anything he was enthralled by Gaara. Gaara was a father… but so unlike the father Shiraha had known.

Presently, Naoko entered the room. Gaara stood up and placed Ai in Naoko's arms, leaving a soft kiss on his child's forehead. Next he turned to Kizuki and ruffled his jet hair before turning to Shiraha and nodding in acknowledgement. Gaara began to make his way to the door. Just as he was about to set off on his way to work, a clear, empty voice cut through the air.

"You will receive a message from Konoha today. Do not disregard it. It is very important."

All eyes turned on the small white haired boy. Naoko gawped. This was the first time the child had spoken in her presence. Even Kizuki looked surprised.

Gaara's eyes narrowed at Shiraha. Aquamarine pierced depths of stormy, steel grey. With a final skeptical glower, Gaara left the house, closing the door firmly behind him.

A scroll marked 'urgent' was waiting on Gaara's desk when he entered his office. Of course, it was from Konoha. And of course, Shiraha was right.

--

'_Lord Kazekage,_

_This is not a simple message of goodwill, nor is it a trivial report. A serious issue has come to our attention in recent weeks. Many youngsters have gone missing from Konoha and other nearby villages in the surrounding areas. The numbers are startling: more than seventy-five children have reportedly disappeared. From the evidence our shinobi have gathered, we believe these children were kidnapped. We also believe that the culprits left Konoha a few days ago and travelled in the direction of Suna._

_It is therefore my obligation, in the interest of both our nations, to inform you of these matters. A full report is on its way to you, guarded by an armed troop of shinobi in order to ensure confidentiality. Everything you need to know will be enclosed in said correspondence. _

_I will expect your reply to arrive with haste, not only as confirmation of receipt of this letter, but with detailed descriptions of any suspicions or information you may have. If you wish to discuss these matters further with me, or require any additional information, please do not hesitate. I anticipate your reply in the imminent future._

_Regards,_

_Tsunade.'_

Gaara re-read the letter a few times. Children had disappeared in Konoha aswell? Things were becoming more sinister with each passing day. Gaara reminisced Shiraha's words.

"I… know…things…"

Evidently, the boy had some type of cognitive 'skill'… some kind of 'special ability'…

Gaara stood up abruptly, a savage scowl set on his impassable face. His patience had worn thin. He had reached his limit. The boy knew something, and Gaara would make him talk…

--

Gaara slammed the door to his house with such a force that the whole building shook, causing Naoko to jump. She looked up to see her husband with a face like thunder, his wrath focused completely on Shiraha. Naoko panicked. She quickly tried to calm Gaara, worried that his red-hot anger would frighten the frail boy to death.

"Gaara, why aren't you at work-"

He cut her off with a sharp raise of his hand. She wasn't sure if she dared to intervene. Gaara continued to glare at the white-haired boy, before wordlessly pointing towards the study. The silence made it even more ominous. Shiraha stared at Gaara, wide-eyed and frozen, as if he'd been petrified on the spot.

"In there, now", Gaara hissed, his voice seething.

The boy began to shake his head frantically, his eyes wide with fear.

"NOW!!"

Shiraha jolted violently and shot into the study. It was the quickest Gaara had ever seen him move. Naoko stood open-mouthed, only able to watch as her husband entered the room after Shiraha, slamming the door closed behind him. 'What the hell is he doing?' she thought.

Inside the study, Shiraha stood rigidly in the centre of the room. Gaara circled the small boy slowly like a shark calculating the correct moment to strike. Suddenly he stopped in his tracks, lingering behind the child.

"You know what happened to those children, don't you?" he asked, his voice suddenly softer.

Shiraha shivered at the voice directly behind him, feeling the Kazekage's eyes burning through the back of his skull. He didn't dare to turn around. The tense silence pulsated unpleasantly in the shell of Shiraha's ear. He knew what had to be done. The time was now. But did he have the courage? For the first time in his life, Shiraha wanted to display the strength to do the right thing. He turned to face the Kazekage.

"I will tell you."

Man and boy faced each other.

"My name is Shiraha Yamasaki. I come from the Land of Lightning. I am ten years old." Shiraha spoke steadily and clearly, his voice colourless.

Gaara looked at the boy. No way did he look ten years old. He was small and frail, his stature more similar to that of a six-year-old. Shiraha continued.

"My father, Zeshin, is a scientist. He has spent his entire life studying and investigating the nature and properties of various energies. He began to seek power; mastery over the components of life. He began to perform experiments on living subjects, trying to form new powers and abilities by manipulating the subjects' exposure to certain energies. From the day I was born, I was kept locked away. My father began to conduct research on me. After years of experiments, my father achieved his goals: He created in me the ability to tap into the human mind, to sense things. The ability to foresee the future."

Gaara remained still, taking in this new and heinous information.

"I was my father's ultimate creation. Not as his son and only child, but as his ultimate masterpiece. He had named me Shiraha. White Feather. He taunted me, telling me my name would forever be a symbol of the shame of my existence for what it really is. A sign of my weakness. My cowardice. (See N.B.). Eventually, he stopped using my name altogether. I was nameless, Test Subject Number 1, but I became known as 'Kyuuseika no Kokuei'. My mother was a timid woman, fearful of my father. She tried to save me, to make him stop, but in the end he exiled her, telling her that if she returned he would kill both her and me. She fled, and I haven't seen her for five years. My father continued his experiments, and began seeking new subjects. Children. They are weak enough to capture easily and also have the greatest capacity for taking on new powers. He called his work 'The Soul Program'. Various shinobi began to hear news of these experiments, and quickly sought to gain the use of these powers for themselves. My father agreed to sell his discoveries to them at a high price. When he realised he could make substantial amounts of money from his work, he began hunting for multitudes of new test subjects."

Gaara nodded, the information beginning to make sense, pieces of it fitting together like a jigsaw.

"As my father's most prized possession, he took me everywhere with him. When we came to Suna for more children, I escaped. And now I am here."

Gaara frowned.

"So that explains where the children went. But I still don't understand. What was the nature of these experiments? What powers were created?" the Kazekage asked.

Shiraha reached out a hand towards Gaara, his fingers halting a few inches from his body, as if seeking out the aura of the Kazekage's body. Gaara glanced down at the boy's hand suspiciously.

Shiraha spoke. "Don't worry… I will show you…"

At that moment, Gaara began to feel the air around him tingle. The sensation intensified until it seemed every molecule in his body was trembling. His heart rate began to quicken. The energy flowing from Shiraha began to take the form of shapes in Gaara's mind. The shapes swirled, taking on different forms and a rainbow of colours in Gaara's line of vision. He was seeing the world the way Shiraha did. No wonder the boy always seemed so disorientated. Gaara began to feel himself slipping. Slipping from reality it seemed. He fought to stay in the present moment, and he was sure his eyes were still open… Yes, his eyes were definitely still open… but everything went black.

Darkness, for a while.

He was puzzled, but maintained a cool state of mind. In this presently dark world, he looked around for anything that could be seen. Somewhere off in the distance, there was a faint light. It moved, causing flickers and shadows to dance along what he assumed was a wall. The light came closer, allowing him to see better. He deciphered the shapes of steel bars. He was in a cell. His arms and legs were chained up, and a large device was clamped over his head. The device extended to the ceiling. The floor he was sitting on was damp, and the air was soaked with the putrid smell of urine and other odours he couldn't name.

The light came closer still, until a man carrying a flaming torch came into view. The man stood in front of Gaara, on the other side of the bars. He had a thin, narrow face and blonde hair. A small smile crept along his lips.

Gaara heard the sound of a girl screaming from somewhere further along. A distant voice shouted something that Gaara couldn't quite hear. The man answered.

"Leave it. We'll deal with number 174 later."

He turned to Gaara once again. His smile grew.

"Now, Kyuuseika no Kokuei… shall we begin?"

Gaara now understood. Shiraha was using his powers to show Gaara first-hand what had happened. Gaara was in Shiraha's shoes, experiencing what Shiraha had experienced. This man was Shiraha's father.

The man disappeared from view, and Gaara heard a door close somewhere nearby. With a loud shudder, a thick screen began to descend in front of the bars, closing the cell completely. The mechanical whirring of the mechanism ground to a halt when the screen was fully down. There were a few moments of silence, and Gaara wondered what was going on.

Suddenly, the air in the cell became hotter. Gaara squirmed uncomfortably, but the chains and the device on his head restricted his movement. In time, he identified a crackling sound. It was a sound he recognised from his wife and daughter. The sound of powerfully charged electricity. But the sound grew and became more pronounced, beyond what Gaara knew to be safe. Melded in with the sensation of static electricity was another sensation. Another that he recognised. The potent gush of power known as chakra.

Before Gaara could speculate, a surge of white-hot pain hit him hard, scorching every nerve in his body. He cried out as his body spasmed uncontrollably. The ordeal eventually ended, only to be followed by another. The pulsating energy coursed down from the ceiling of the room and into the head device, stabbing through Gaara's skull and into his brain. Combined currents of chakra and electricity seared into him, ripping through his very consciousness. His brain felt as though it was being sliced into pieces by fire itself. His body buzzed with the power of live energy. The pain was such that he couldn't even see straight; sparks flashed across his vision against a background of white. Gaara suddenly vomited from the agony. This was like no pain he had ever experienced before, and the suffering was unbearable. Consequently, the excruciation took its toll. Gaara blacked out.

Again, darkness.

In time, Gaara regained consciousness. He opened his eyes to see Shiraha staring at him with his head cocked to the side. Gaara looked around, relieved to see familiar surroundings. The pain had disappeared. He was still standing, just the same as he had been when Shiraha had induced the experience - The experience - Gaara didn't know what else to call it. Had it been a hallucination? Or a dream? Maybe 'nightmare' was more fitting.

"I understand…" Gaara began, his voice catching in his throat. "He exposes his subjects to massive amounts of chakra, electricity and radiation, in order to alter the workings of their physiology…"

"Yes" Shiraha answered.

Gaara looked at this boy, this child, and found himself amazed. Shiraha had experienced such pain and torment, day after day after day, without losing his mind. He must possess real strength of character to survive such a thing, Gaara mused. Despite his young age and small frame, he had a wisdom far beyond his years.

For a moment, Gaara saw himself. The boy looking up at him had the same eyes as him. They were both the victims of their fathers' experimentations. Shiraha was lost and unloved, the way Gaara had been. Gaara shook the thought from his mind. For a shinobi, a mission must not become personal. Emotions are obsolete. Self-discipline is essential to maintain a clear sense of judgement, he reminded himself.

"So… if you can tell the future, tell me what's going to happen with this situation?" Gaara inquired.

Shiraha frowned. "I don't know… This involves me, so I can't see the outcome… for all my abilities, the one thing I can't do is see my own future."

Gaara chewed his lip slightly, before sitting down at his desk to get started on what would probably be a very long letter to Konoha.

--

"Zeshin, what are we going to do about Test Subject Number 1?" one of his confederates asked him.

The little bastard had escaped. Zeshin's fingers fiddled anxiously.

"I don't know… we must retrieve him… He's the only one of his kind…" he muttered. "None of my other subjects have his abilities… he's the only Kyuuseika no Kokuei… completely priceless…"

A loud cry distracted Zeshin from his thoughts. It was the voice of a little girl in her cell.

"LET ME GO!! PLEASE!! I WANT MY MAMA!!" the girl screamed over and over, crying helplessly.

Zeshin approached the cell slowly, peering at the child through the bars. She was small and frightened, with tangled light brown hair. Her face and body were grubby and bloodied.

"Hmm… Tanaka wasn't it?" Zeshin asked. The girl stared at him in a daze.

"Your name, I mean" he clarified. "Tsukiko Tanaka, if I remember rightly?"

The little girl's eyes lit up with recognition. She began to nod her head vigorously, a smile of hope on her lips.

"Hmm…" Zeshin pulled a bunch of keys from the pocket of his coat and proceeded to unlock the cell. Tsukiko's smile grew as she sensed imminent freedom. She tried to stand up.

Zeshin walked slowly towards the girl on the ground and reached forward. He tilted her head up gently. Her face beamed up at him.

With a swift movement, he kicked her hard in the head. The sound echoed around the cell. Tsukiko's unconscious body slumped to the ground.

Zeshin exited the cell, re-locking it. He turned to his confederate.

"That should shut her up."

--

--

N.B: A white feather is an international sign of cowardice. It was used in World War One to show a man's refusal to fight for his nation. These men were made to wear a white feather as a symbol of shame.

Title translation:

Kyuuseika no Kokuei – Dark Shadow Star-Reader (A person who can see into the unknown)

A/N: By the way, I just thought I would spread word about a great web site called TONFA. It's a site dedicated to Naruto fanfiction. Just do a google search for TONFA and you'll find it. It has a great sense of community, it's easy to navigate, and they've started holding annual competitions for the best fanfics. So go ahead and become a member! And register on the forums too. The more members there are, the more good fics we get, which makes for an even better online community.

Big thanks to everyone for the ace reviews :D 


	7. Fujin

Chapter 7: Fujin

Temari, Kankuro and Yuki looked on as Naoko wrinkled her nose at the images in the magazine.

"Since when was Princess Twatness the height of fashion?" she said gloomily, seeing a special feature on Lady Setsuko - 'The Land Of Wind's Hottest Young Aristocrat!' according to the headline. Staring out at Naoko from the page was a high-angle shot of Setsuko. She glanced up innocently through thick lashes. One demure hand was wound into her thick, chocolate brown hair in a flirtatious pose. To an unassuming eye, her sex appeal seemed almost accidental, making her even more desirable. But Naoko could see the cunning beneath the shy act. The high angle of the camera shot drew the reader's eye directly to the focal point of the image – an alluring glimpse of Setsuko's tantalising cleavage. Naoko scowled and peered down at her own chest. She felt as though she were only half the woman Setsuko was.

Turning back to the picture, Naoko noticed the smug smile on Setsuko's lips. As the image smirked mockingly, it seemed to be saying 'anything-you-can-do-I-can-do-better'.

"It makes me want to puke" Naoko grumbled miserably. Temari and Yuki cooed in sympathy.

"Come on Naoko, she's not a patch on you" Temari uttered soothingly.

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!" Naoko cried, waving the magazine around. She turned the page and cleared her throat before reciting a section of the article.

"…She's the public icon who defines effortless glamour and sassy style, but despite being everyone's favourite high-class kitten, Setsuko Ishida is so much more. Last year she spent six months promoting various charities in order to highlight the plight of poorer nations. Style icon, beauty queen and generous aristocrat… This girl is the epitome of perfection!"

"DID YOU HEAR THAT?! 'PERFECTION'! SHE'S PRACTICALLY THE VIRGIN MARY… ONLY SEXIER!!"

Kankuro decided to add some words of wisdom.

"Every guy wants a girl like that - A girl who gets into bed looking innocent, then does dirty deeds. A girl who looks virginal but is really a sex kitten is every man's fantasy" Kankuro said, casting an amorous look at Yuki.

Naoko abruptly hurled the magazine at her brother in law. "You're not helping, Kankuro!" she snapped.

"All I'm saying is that's what guys want" Kankuro sulked.

"Just keep digging, brother" Temari sighed.

"Really?" Naoko asked, lingering on Kankuro's statement. "Is _that_ what guys want? If that's true then I'm screwed" she said miserably, glancing at the picture of the flawless Setsuko. "I mean, how the hell can I compare to that? Gaara's been so distant since SHE came along… I'm starting to get worried… maybe he doesn't love me anymore…" she said sadly, fighting back the unpleasant sting of tears.

"Naoko! Don't be stupid!" Temari scolded.

"Yeah, maybe he's just… busy. That's all" Yuki added with a nervous smile, trying to comfort her best friend.

"I'm being serious. Him and Setsuko have a history, a special one. She was his best friend. That has to mean something to him, right? And now she's back… so maybe he's changed his mind about me. He doesn't seem to look at me the same way anymore... we haven't had sex in a month!"

"Jeez Naoko, I really don't want to know about my little brother's sex life, thanks" Kankuro retorted.

Naoko was so distressed that she didn't even jump on her chance to make him feel even more uncomfortable. She was beyond humour now. She fell silent.

"Oh come on Naoko, cheer up… please…" Yuki hedged.

"Don't freak out Naoko. I know a way to get Gaara to pay some attention to you…" Temari said slyly. She grabbed the discarded magazine and flipped to the beauty section. "Hmm… I think we'll go for 'understated elegance'… it's a very classic look…" she said knowledgeably, pointing to an image of a made-up model. "Naoko, we're going to give you a make-over" she announced. "Do you have any make-up?"

"Not much"

"Don't worry, I'm sure Kankuro will let you borrow his"

"Piss off Temari" Kankuro glowered.

--

Naoko strolled through the corridors of the Council building. She fiddled uncomfortably, fretting over her hair and make-up. She'd borrowed Yuki's stunning ruby red kimono, and Temari had painted her lips red to match. Red lipstick is a timeless look, Temari had said. The kimono's hem reached the bottom of Naoko's thighs, exposing her lean legs in a way that was classy and feminine. Naoko's glossy black, freshly washed hair had been curled into waves, and the outfit was finished with simple black leather slip-on pumps. Thus was Temari's vision of 'understated elegance'. Naoko proudly imagined herself to look somewhat like a geisha of the old times, and she peered into the glass face of her wristwatch, trying to see her reflection to make sure that her lipstick had not smudged.

She flitted through the winding corridors of the ancient Council building, excited about surprising Gaara. After spending time with Temari and Yuki, she felt a little more confident and optimistic. Gaara _had_ been stressed lately, and that was probably the reason for his being so distant. But he would certainly notice her now! Naoko almost felt a little guilty… afterall, with a job and three young children to take care of, she had also been busy lately, and had probably not paid her husband the attention he deserved. But now she would make it up to him, she decided, after making an effort to look good for him. She smiled excitedly.

Upon reaching the door to the Kazekage office, she halted and did a silent little dance before composing herself, fighting to alter her giddy face into a look of refined poise. She took a deep breath and pushed the door open softly.

Gaara was currently sat at his desk hard at work, his head down. His expression was blank as always, except for a slight furrow on his brow, indicating his intense concentration. On the desk, various documents were strewn haphazardly. There were letters, maps, and scruffy scraps of paper with Gaara's rushed handwriting scrawled every which way.

Naoko waited in the doorway for Gaara to notice her, but he didn't look up.

"What is it?" he snapped impatiently in a gruff voice, guessing the new visitor was a ninja.

Naoko rolled her eyes. If this was the way he spoke to his shinobi, she was glad she wasn't one of them.

She decided not to answer for added impact, instead choosing to walk over to him. She stood by the side of his desk, waiting for him to look up. He finally gave Naoko a quick glance, before turning back to his work.

"What do you want, Naoko?" he asked expressionlessly.

Naoko forced a cheerful smile, masking her disappointment at his reaction.

"Nothing" she replied.

Then, for a split second, Gaara appeared to pull a face of annoyance. Naoko's spirits sank down to the ground, and then some. She quickly fixed the smile in place again. He's obviously stressed with work, she told herself, that's why he hasn't noticed yet.

"I just came by to see how you're doing" she tried again. "Is there anything you need?"

"No, Naoko, there isn't. Now I really need to work. This is important. I'll see you tonight."

Naoko felt her heart split in two. "Oh… ok…" she said quietly.

Gaara turned and looked up at her. His gaze held steady for a moment, as if he was figuring that something was different. Finally he spoke.

"Why are your lips all red?" he asked blankly.

Naoko sighed dramatically. "Sabaku no Gaara, you really are clueless" she sighed, trying to sound like her usual cheerful self. She hoped he didn't hear her voice crack. She fought back tears and walked to the door.

"Naoko, what's the matter?" Gaara demanded, sounding obviously annoyed now.

"Just forget it." she snapped, exiting the room before she lost her composure.

Naoko sloped off down the corridor, completely disheartened. She had been right afterall – he really didn't love her anymore, did he? She descended the stairs and reached ground level, drifting through the entrance hall towards the outside world. The shame she felt was unbearable. She felt ridiculous, all dressed up like a useless, tatty doll. No matter what she tried, she couldn't compare to Setsuko. And as soon as she'd thought this, she was faced with Lady Setsuko herself. Great, Naoko thought, I really don't need this right now. Setsuko approached with a smug smile, almost as if she knew what was going on.

"Hi. Nanako isn't it?" Setsuko asked.

"Naoko, actually" Naoko corrected.

Setsuko smiled. "Of course, of course." She looked Naoko up and down. "A kimono? How quaint! I'm guessing you've just been to see Gaara" she said, her voice sickly sweet.

Damn, she was quick. Naoko gritted her teeth.

"Yes" she replied flatly.

"Your husband is quite a catch, isn't he? Your parents must have been proud that he picked their daughter to marry" Setsuko said snidely.

Naoko picked up on the venom. "My parents were ninjas from the Land of Lightning, but they were killed many years ago" she informed.

Setsuko nodded distantly in a way that said she didn't really care. "Well they can't have been very good ninjas, then" she added curtly with an innocent smile, before flouncing out of the building.

Naoko stood, fixed to the spot. What a way to twist the knife. The vicious insult was somewhat numbed by the shock she felt as she tried to work out how anyone could be so insensitive. Unusual for her, she was speechless, but that was something that was becoming more and more frequent lately.

"Bitch… Heartless bitch…" she whispered in disbelief.

--

At exactly four o' clock, Gaara decided to get out of the office in order to shake off the brain drain. He'd not stopped working since early morning, not even for lunch. Between compiling reports to Konoha, continuing to investigate the case of the missing children, and his usual daily workload, he'd hardly had time to think. Not to mention Naoko's strange little skit. God knows what went on inside her head sometimes.

So rather than go home and face his wife, he decided to stop off at the teahouse for a gentle transition back to reality. He stared out of the window at nothing in particular, occasionally stirring to sip from a cup of steaming green tea.

His empty mind was in several places, everywhere and nowhere all at the same time. You know the feeling. One part of his mind was musing over the lost children. What fate had they encountered? He remembered the pain he felt when Shiraha had induced the trance. Another part of his mind stayed with Naoko. He could sense the ever-increasing strain on their relationship, and he just didn't understand. Why couldn't women just be straightforward like men? Life would be so much simpler. But no, instead they felt the need to be vague, expecting you to read their minds and then punishing you for not being able to do so. Gaara amused himself imagining that Shiraha most likely wouldn't have these women-related problems when he grew up – he could practically read minds anyway. This caused him to wonder why he cared. Shiraha was just a random child, of no relationship to Gaara whatsoever. Why did he care what happened to Shiraha when he grew up? It's not like Shiraha was his own son, afterall. A mission must not become personal, he told himself. Emotions are obsolete. Self-discipline is essential to maintain a clear sense of judgement. I shouldn't have to remind myself this, he thought. It should be second nature by now. But he couldn't escape the memory of Mrs Tanaka's grief. The broken pleas to save her daughter. His heart tugged violently in his chest.

"Lord Kazekage, I know you have children too…"

Her words haunted him. Gaara loved his children more than life itself. He'd give his life for them. And to lose them would be like losing his own soul. They were part of him, made by him. His proudest legacy. He would dedicate his life to giving them every opportunity. He would be the father he himself had never had. He could understand Mrs Tanaka's despair all too painfully. How could he _not_ become emotionally involved in this mission? Maybe paternal instinct is stronger than shinobi instinct could ever be, he mused.

And he thought about Setsuko. He'd promised Naoko that he wouldn't see her again. But why shouldn't he? She was his link to the past. A painful past, but an important one nevertheless. Why was Naoko being so selfish?

"What's up Kiddo?" a familiar gruff voice wrenched him from his tangled thoughts.

Jun was sat beside him, brown eyes glittering in his perpetual cheer. He took a long drag from the cigarette in his hand.

"You know I could have you arrested for that. Smoking isn't permitted in public places" Gaara growled, trying to find an outlet for his stress.

"Well if you have me arrested, I'll bar you from the teahouse. The place _is_ mine, y'know" Jun countered with a playful grin.

"You can't bar me, I'm the Kazekage." Gaara answered.

Jun let out a raspy laugh and patted Gaara on the head roughly. Gaara grimaced.

"You may be the Kazekage, but you're still just a kid, Kid." Jun said, rising from his seat.

"I'm not a kid" Gaara snapped, unaware of the sulky childlike expression on his face.

Jun laughed again. "You'll understand when you get to my age… Well, look who's here! It's that beautiful lady again" Jun grinned, looking towards the door.

Gaara glanced in the same direction, to see Setsuko entering the teahouse. She flashed a stunning smile at Gaara.

"She's really got a thing for you hasn't she?" Jun whispered.

"What?" Gaara asked, but Jun walked away before Gaara could get an answer.

"Good afternoon Gaara!" Setsuko said, in her musical tone. She sat down beside him.

"Hn" Gaara replied.

"Oh, so it's one of those days, hmm?" she said sympathetically. "I saw your red hair through the window – it's a dead giveaway – so I thought I'd stop by and say hello" she smiled.

Gaara nodded and took a sip of tea.

"I saw Naoko today" she tested.

"Hn"

"She was quite rude to me actually. Started throwing all sorts of abhorrent abuse at me, swearing and telling me to leave and never come back" she lied.

Gaara looked at her. "She did what?"

Setsuko's gaze sank down to her lap. "I was so upset. I mean, I tried to be pleasant but she just flipped. I keep wondering what I've done to offend her so. I've never seen someone so _unhinged_ before. I was so frightened…" she said quietly, looking into his eyes.

Gaara's face was stone-set in a look of stern disapproval. How dare she? What gave Naoko the right to treat Gaara's long-time friend this way? How dare she interfere in things that had absolutely nothing to do with her? Despite all Naoko's fiery characteristics, this was the first time he was truly outraged and embarrassed by his wife. She'd crossed the line this time.

"I'll deal with it" Gaara replied gravely. As if he didn't have enough to deal with.

Setsuko met his eyes with her tearful deep blue ones.

"No one's ever treated me like that before, Gaara. All I wanted was to see you again. My best friend. And now it seems like I'm ruining everything" she whispered, tears spilling from her beautiful eyes.

Gaara grimaced almost visibly. Women crying always made him feel awkward. He hated it, and had to make it stop.

"You're not ruining anything, Setsuko"

She reached out to take his hand. "Really?" she asked with wide eyes. Her manicured fingers wove between his.

"Really." Gaara replied.

Setsuko's hand left Gaara's and instead rested on his thigh.

"Good. I wouldn't want to lose you now I've found you again" she said. Her hand began to stroke his thigh, gradually moving towards his inner thigh. Gaara tensed.

"You're such a good man, Gaara" Setsuko said, leaning towards him and kissing him gently. Her mouth was slightly open.

Gaara took a few seconds to register what was happening. He pulled away suddenly, confused.

"Setsuko, I have to go."

With that, he left the teahouse instantly.

Jun watched the whole scenario with wide eyes.

"Phwooo! Naoko's not gonna like this" he said to himself.

--

Title Translation:

Fujin – woman/female or heartlessness/inhumanity (I like the dual meaning, it's quite relevant)

A/N: Thanks for the fantastic reviews!! They are uplifting in my sleep-deprived haze of working and more working. Keep the love coming, people! Let me know what you think. Is this story as good as No More Running so far? Or more/less so?

Coming up in future chapters: Explosions in the Kazekage household, heart-wrenching drama, nail-biting action… Plus, more canon characters! (Don't worry, I haven't forgotten Naruto and the Konoha crew!)

Hahaha, self-advertisement.

Please review!


	8. Mougen

Chapter 8: Mougen

Naoko shuffled through the dusty streets of Suna. It was late afternoon, and the merchants were packing away their market-stalls. A few grubby bits of litter floated along the ground as the gentle breeze ushered them on. Naoko kicked a loose paper that had drifted into her path. Her face was set into an adamant, pained frown. Setsuko had just insulted the memory of Naoko's dead parents, and as if that wasn't upsetting enough, now she couldn't even seduce her husband. He'd practically ignored her. Naoko wasn't sure whether to curl up and cry, or wreak the terrible revenge of a woman scorned upon the whole of mankind. Either way, she felt distraught. It seemed her perfect little ocean had become a maelstrom in the midst of a storm, and there were no rocks to hold on to, no way of sheltering from the vicious waves that threatened to pull her under. All that remained was for her to be swept away while her world fell apart.

'Mother, how the hell did you and dad keep it together, huh? Marriage is such a complicated thing. I could really use your advice right now…' she confided inwardly, before halting, knowing that thinking like this would lead her to cry. She missed her parents sorely. She could already feel the fierce, hot sting of tears that threatened to fall, but her pride would never allow her to cry in public.

"What the hell has happened to me..? I used to be so strong…" she whispered.

'…You fell in love…' came the answer in her mind.

Naoko let out a little scoff at this, earning her a funny look from a passer-by. In her present mood, Naoko had the urge to punch the unfortunate fellow, but refrained.

'Yeah, and look where that's headed' she retorted silently. 'If I knew love would fall apart like this, I never would have bothered with him' she thought, knowing full well it was a lie. Pain causes people to say things they don't mean.

'Now that he's had enough of me he'll probably just throw me away like yesterday's newspaper. He's a cold-hearted bastard'

She turned the corner of the street and pushed open the door to the teahouse. The place was starting to clear out now with it being late afternoon. She settled in a corner and turned her chair to face the window so she could gaze at life through the glass. She didn't really want to talk to anybody right now. She needed time to think. To be alone.

She thought about Gaara. Four years of marriage. Had it all been a waste? A short-lived lie? She'd read somewhere once that after four years in a relationship the passion hormone wears off, and that's when relationships tend to break down. But she never thought that would happen to her and Gaara.

'I guess no one thinks it'll happen to them. People like to think their love will last forever' she mused.

She flashed through fond memories of a time when their love had been intense and feverish. When things scared her in the night, he was there. Every little thing about him she adored, all his quirks she discovered. He absolutely hated his navel being touched, saying it made him 'feel weird', so of course Naoko loved to torment him by prodding his belly button. And she was the only person in the world who knew that the fearsome Sabaku no Gaara had ticklish feet. She loved that she knew him better than anyone, and that she knew the gentle side of him that no one else saw. He was a fantastic father who took care of his children, played with them, and taught them. He'd been there when Naoko had given birth to them. But now, he just didn't seem to care about her anymore. She hardly saw him, he hardly spoke, and he never made time for her anymore. But of course he managed to make time for Setsuko.

Naoko just didn't know how she would cope in life without him. And so despite all her pride, she began to cry, right there in the teahouse. The more she tried to stop, the more the tears streamed down her face. She buried her head in her hands to block out the world.

"Naoko…"

She felt a strong hand squeeze her shoulder as a mug of something hot was placed on the table in front of her.

She turned to see Jun sitting beside her. For once his usually carefree face looked full of concern. His brown eyes were filled with compassion.

"So you found out about Gaara and Setsuko, then?" he said sadly.

Naoko froze and locked eyes with the teahouse owner. There was a silence.

"What?" she whispered.

Jun's mouth dropped open a little. She didn't know. Suna's biggest gossip had really dropped himself in it now.

"What do you mean, Jun? Tell me!" Naoko demanded, her voice gradually rising in volume.

He sighed and reached back to rub his neck awkwardly.

"Earlier on, they were in here together. I assumed you knew… They kissed, Naoko."

--

Gaara scribbled down some more notes. He'd hardly stopped working and had been speaking with Shiraha for hours in order to find out all he could about 'The Soul Program'. Only then could he and Tsunade form a suitable plan of action for both their nations.

Gaara glanced at the clock. Evening was here and Naoko still wasn't home. Gaara had already put the children to bed. He frowned. Maybe it was better that the children were asleep. Afterall, he needed to confront her about her behaviour towards Setsuko. His anger about the situation meant that it would probably turn into an argument, which was something the kids didn't need to see. He couldn't believe that Naoko had the nerve to treat his friend that way. He would let his wife know that he would not tolerate her interference.

Gaara poured over the events of the day in his mind. He was still puzzled as to why Setsuko had kissed him. He wondered about his own reaction. Afterall, he was used to responding to Naoko's kisses, and so when Setsuko had kissed him, he almost kissed back by pure instinct. And when Setsuko had begun stroking his thigh, a shiver had coursed through him. I mean, come on, when any guy gets touched there, things are going to start stirring.

There was a quiet, tentative creak as the front door opened. Gaara remained in his study waiting for Naoko to find him, but she didn't. No more sounds came. He stood up and left the study, making his way to the living room. He entered with a pissed off look on his face. Naoko was sat on the couch, silent, her pale hands clasped in her lap. She didn't look at him.

"How could you?" she whispered, almost hissed.

Gaara remained still, his icy aqua eyes full of anger and confusion.

"How could you Gaara?" Naoko said, more clearly now, her voice calm but quivering.

"What is it that I have apparently done? What imaginary situation have you concocted now?" he growled.

Naoko looked up at him. There wasn't an ounce of affection left on his face.

"I know you don't love me anymore, but you didn't have to betray me like this!" she shouted, suddenly standing up. "I thought I meant more to you than this! How could you hurt me like this? How could you _do_ this to me? After four years do I mean absolutely nothing to you?"

"Stop meddling in my life. Do you understand me?" he said, ignoring her.

Naoko's eyebrows scrunched together.

"What do you mean? I didn't… I don't know wha-"

"You know what you did" Gaara interrupted, deadly calm. "You have no right to attack Setsuko the way you did. I decide who I associate with. It has nothing to do with you. Your behaviour is embarrassing."

Naoko was speechless, open-mouthed.

"Gaara, I didn't attack Setsuko. I have no idea what you're talking about! Whatever she said, she's lying! She insulted my paren-"

"I don't care" Gaara replied coldly. Naoko was now in a state of desperation, tears spilling down her face.

"You kissed her. Jun told me all about it, so don't try to deny it" Naoko accused.

Gaara grimaced. How the hell was he going to explain this, he wondered.

"I didn't kiss her. She kissed me" he said, only realising how feeble he sounded after the words had left his mouth.

"So you want her instead of me, then?" Naoko asked quietly, her glistening green eyes searching his for any sign of the Gaara that loved her.

"Don't be ridiculous Naoko" he sniped. "It was an accident. She kissed me and I pulled away. Nothing is going on between Setsuko and I". He was feeling increasingly awkward, causing his patience to erode even further. He didn't know how to handle this.

"I don't understand. Her… that bitch… She's manipulating you, it's so obvious, but you can't even see it. I know that she wants you. She's trying to tear us apart" she spoke through stifled sobs. "I never thought you would betray me like this Gaara. I thought you loved me"

"Naoko, that's enough. You're paranoid. Just… get away from me. I can't even stand the sight of you" he sneered.

Naoko gasped. He'd never spoken to her like that before. "…Gaara…? You… YOU SELFISH BASTARD!" she shouted.

"Shut up Naoko, the children are asleep" he said unaffectedly.

"Don't you DARE TELL ME TO SHUT UP!" Naoko cried.

"Just shut your mouth. You're a pathetic child. Whatever you have to say, I don't care enough to hear it."

SLAP.

The sound echoed around the room. There was a shocked silence. Naoko stared at her hand. The hand she had just slapped Gaara hard across the face with. She found herself frozen, immediately regretting her action, before firmly reassessing and deciding that he deserved it. She looked up at him defiantly. His eyes were full of contempt. The shards of Naoko's broken heart stung sharply in her chest as she walked away.

Some time after Naoko had left, Gaara finally moved again. He sank down to sit on the floor weakly. With his head in his hands, he wondered how everything had become such a mess. He hadn't been able to handle it, and he'd said things he wanted desperately to take back, but knew he never could. When faced with an awkward situation, he automatically reacted with hostility. It was all he'd ever known. His fingers clenched in his dishevelled, mussed-up red hair. He glanced at the doorway and saw a small face peeking at him through the crack of the open door. The door opened a little further to reveal Kizuki's sad, scared face. He'd been woken by his parents' row.

"Kizuki" Gaara sighed.

The small child ran to his father and settled beside him, clinging to his arm like a limpet. Gaara wrapped his arms around his young son.

"Daddy… why Mama go?" the infant asked, looking up at his father with the honest and innocent eyes of a child.

"I've upset her… and I don't know how to fix it" Gaara answered truthfully.

The infant Sabaku's face lit up with recognition at his father's words. Kizuki suddenly jumped up and toddled off as if he had an idea. A few minutes later he re-entered the room, hauling his mother's toolkit behind him.

"Fix it!!" he declared triumphantly, pointing at the tools.

Gaara smiled thinly. "Somehow I don't think that will be enough" he answered.

--

Title Translation:

Mougen – Rash remark, thoughtless words.

--

A/N: Thanks for all the fantastic reviews! Well, a couple of people have said to me that my spelling is bad. So I just thought I'd clear things up: I'm British, so I spell words the British way, not the American way, lol.

Please review :)


	9. Fuufu Genka wa inu mo Kuwanu

A/N: Wow, it's been a long time since I updated. Sorry everyone. There aren't enough hours in the day to get everything done! Plus, I've had severe writers block :( :( :( Not fun. If you've forgotten what's going on in the story, you can always glance back at the last couple of chapters and recap. Anyway… here's the next chapter of Shiraha! :D I hope you like it.

WARNING: You have been warned.

Chapter 9: Fuufu Genka wa inu mo Kuwanu

"You _do_ realise the seriousness of this situation, don't you?" one Council elder hissed at another.

The atmosphere was tense. Nine members of the Council and various elite Suna shinobi were currently engaged in a heated discussion regarding the new developments in the case of the missing children. Gaara sat calmly, observing the opinions being fired around him. In front of him, a letter rested on the table. It was the most recent correspondence from Konoha. He glanced over it.

_Lord Kazekage,_

_In response to the information you have provided, the severity of our present situation has been exposed in full. _

_Our own investigation has uncovered that Zeshin is being aided in his work by a group of former Sound ninja who went into hiding after Orochimaru's death, hoping to gain new power from Zeshin's 'Soul Program' experiments. Heaven forbid the remaining Akatsuki members get in on this. It has to be stopped, now. It is in the critical interests of both our nations to co-operate in the matter. _

_Two Konoha shinobi have been dispatched to Suna for the purpose of aiding in a rescue operation, and I have personally seen to this myself. Naruto Uzumaki and Ino Yamanaka should be arriving in Suna in a day's time. Sasuke Uchiha is already in Suna, and he will also be a member of the squad._

_Regards,_

_Tsunade._

Gaara turned his attention back to the discussion.

"And we are to trust the tales of a ten year old boy?" a Council member snapped in reply.

"The child has yet to prove untruthful. Everything we have uncovered independently has matched his statements." A Jonin answered coolly.

"Oh yes, I forgot, he's _psychic_, isn't he?" the Council member scoffed sarcastically. "Last time I checked, we were shinobi. Shinobi who deal in facts and logic, not superstitious prophecies and the fanciful stories of a child."

"You want facts, do you? How's this for facts… over a hundred children have vanished from Suna and Konoha. These children are our legacy, the next generation of shinobi who will defend this village. It is our duty to protect that future!" another voice shouted. There were murmurs of agreement from around the table.

"Yes. These experiments could create catastrophic new powers that are yet in our scope of understanding. If these powers fall into the wrong hands, we're all done for. It could cause another ninja war, one that is on a completely different level to anything we have yet to witness. We must prevent this at any cost" came the agreement of the Jonin.

The cynical Council member grimaced sourly. "I advise you not to act rashly on account of mere speculation, Lord Kazekage" he warned in Gaara's direction. Gaara held up one hand and the room quieted at his authority.

"Enough" he ordered coldly. "Shiraha does indeed have unnatural abilities. I know this to be the absolute truth. He is our living evidence… And I trust him" he paused momentarily. "We will go ahead with our original plan. Our main priority is to rescue the children. A squad of shinobi will travel to Kumogakure and launch a rescue mission."

The cynical Council member scowled in defeat.

The Jonin spoke up. "Konoha has sent us three of their shinobi for this mission. Who will we, Sunagakure, send with them?"

All heads turned in the Kazekage's direction, awaiting his reply to see which of their finest shinobi would partake. Gaara did not falter, nor did he hesitate in his reply.

"I will go"

A heavy silence was marked by a few muffled gasps.

"L-Lord Kazekage… do you think that is wise?"

Gaara stood. He gazed intently around the room at faces full of disapproval. His associates were clearly against the idea, but Gaara knew they would not challenge his decision. Gaara understood the implications of what he was getting himself into. This would potentially be the most viciously dangerous mission of his life so far. Afterall, no one knew what strange surprises and mutations awaited them at Zeshin's headquarters in Kumogakure. And there would be the moral conflict of fighting and killing children, which was a very real possibility - Zeshin was probably using the child test subjects as weapons. Who knows what powers they might possess? Would Gaara be able to find the will to kill innocent children if he had to? Would he be able to handle that? He could lose his life, and then Sunagakure would be without its leader, his children without a father. There were so many complications, but Gaara dismissed them all. He knew what he had to do. He would save his village's children. He would show Shiraha that there was more to this world than pain, abuse, and torturous solitude. His expression was stone-set as he addressed his subordinates.

"This matter is personal to me. No doubt you all understand why…" he looked around at the people in the room. A few heads lowered shamefully as they remembered that Gaara too had been an experiment.

"Plus, I promised a woman that I would bring her daughter back to her…" he added quietly, recalling the pain on Mrs Tanaka's face as she begged him to save her only child.

No more opposition came from the gathering. They knew Gaara's mind could not be changed. They knew what he had to do.

*************************

Gaara finished work late that night. He left the labyrinthine Council building and was met by the crisp night air. The responsibility of what he had just agreed to do weighed heavily on him. The fates of so many were depending on him now. He felt a little more refreshed upon escaping the musty atmosphere of the building. He was back where he belonged, out in the quiet, cold calm of the desert night. This was where he'd spent the most significant times of his life. Everything always made more sense by moonlight, everything was clearer. By nature he was a creature of twilight, reaching his zenith much more easily in darkness. He took a few moments to gather his senses, allowing his tired spirit to soak up the atmosphere. A light breeze kissed upon his face. Somewhere in the distance a desert fox called to its cubs.

Gaara walked out onto the steps and scanned the dark empty street. Everyone had gone home to their families no doubt. Gaara's heart sank at this. At this moment, he wanted the same thing. All he wanted to do was return home and have dinner with his rather animated family, and then go to sleep with his wife in his arms. No chance of that happening. All that awaited him when he returned was silence, a cold meal, and a cold woman who now hated him. Gaara and Naoko had not spoken for days. She had begun sleeping in one of the spare bedrooms.

In truth, Gaara was terrified. Terrified of losing Naoko. Not only had Setsuko's arrival pushed Naoko away from Gaara, but now he was due to risk everything on a mission. There couldn't have been a worse time for such a responsibility, really. He wasn't sure whether their marriage would recover under such pressure. They had never argued to this extent before. Never ignored each other like this. Usually their disagreements were explosive, but over quickly. This was different. He had made a terrible error, and pushed away the person who had ended his loneliness. No doubt that loneliness would return without Naoko around. He wasn't sure if he could bear to lose the love he had craved all his life and treasured upon finding it. Gaara brought one hand to his tense brow and massaged it. An empty ache pounded in his chest. Perhaps he was a monster afterall, he thought. He always seemed to destroy things one way or another.

He sighed and focused on the evening instead, closing down his emotions at once and concentrating on the darkness. His consciousness blended into the air and the moonlight. But somewhere along the way, his brain rebelled. His mind asked questions. _What is Naoko doing right now? What's on her mind? Does she miss me?_

His thoughts were interrupted by his sudden awareness of an object on the steps a few metres away. Gaara grimaced and approached. He stood over the object, and upon inspection, found that this 'object' was actually Shikamaru, fast asleep on the Council building steps. Stuck to his forehead was a piece of paper that read 'lazy ass'. Shikamaru shuffled slightly and opened one eye. He saw the dark figure looming over him.

"AAARRRGHHHHH"

Not realising he was on a flight of stairs, he scrambled unwittingly, lost his balance and rolled down the steps. The end of his descent was marked by a yelp and a "what the fuck?!"

He glanced back at the figure anxiously before recognising his brother-in-law, who watched him blankly.

"Jeez, don't do that! You're kinda sinister in the dark…" he drawled, rubbing his head.

Gaara let out a low chuckle and walked over. Shikamaru looked around in a daze.

"It's dark already? Last thing I remember, it was afternoon. I think I was waiting for Temari… must've fallen asleep…" he mumbled.

Gaara motioned to the message on Shikamaru's forehead. "Looks like she left without you"

Shikamaru felt around and peeled the paper from his head before examining it. "…Huh…"

He reached a hand into his pocket and pulled out a crumpled packet of cigarettes, removing a stick and straightening it out before setting it between his lips. He scrabbled around in his pocket again to find his lighter. A bright flash of fire ignited the cigarette and he inhaled deeply.

"Want one?" he asked, blowing out smoke and holding the packet out towards the redhead.

Gaara simply shook his head. Shikamaru shrugged and crammed the cigarettes back into his pocket.

"I guess I'll be getting the cold shoulder tonight. Troublesome woman" he sighed.

"Hn"

"That makes two of us, right?" he joked.

Gaara didn't reply.

"It's that bad, is it?" Shikamaru asked, trying to coax the Sabaku into conversation.

Gaara shuffled and sat down on the step beside Shikamaru.

"I'm not sure what I should do…" the Kazekage confided sheepishly.

"I know it's not your strong point, but have you tried _talking_ to her?" Shikamaru drawled sarcastically.

"If I talk to her, she ignores me. It's like I'm not there" Gaara replied, frowning.

"Women are troublesome" Shikamaru began with a sense of expertise, "When they say one thing, they actually mean something entirely different. They're like equations… they seem impossible, but there's always a formula. You just have to crack the code, and then the puzzle suddenly makes sense…"

Gaara looked at the Nara blankly. To Shikamaru, everything was a puzzle that required a strategy. Gaara however was somewhat less delicate in how he approached things. Sensing Gaara's confusion, Shikamaru elaborated.

"Look Gaara, basically, if she's ignoring you, it means she wants you to chase her. She wants to see you fight for her attention. She wants to know that you _care_."

Gaara frowned and mused upon this for a while.

"But how do I know that? If I try to force her to talk she might…"

"Attack you?" Shikamaru finished. "Yeah… it happens…" he recalled. Temari had a fiery temper.

"And then she might hate me even more…" Gaara replied.

"Man, she doesn't hate you. Seriously, try my formula. I think you'll find it works. All women just want affection. Trust me…" he said, blowing out smoke. "And what about this Setsuko girl?"

"She's just a friend" Gaara snapped.

"From what I've heard it sounds like she wants a lot more from you than just friendship…"

"She was the only person who acknowledged me in my youth. I can't just turn her away. I'd feel worthless" he defended.

"And what about how Naoko feels? Imagine if it was the other way around. If some guy from Naoko's past suddenly came back after all these years and decided that he wanted her? If some other guy was trying to get off with your wife? How would you feel?"

The Kazekage let out a low growl, enough to make Shikamaru's blood run cold.

"Exactly. You'd feel the same way Naoko does right now. You need to think carefully, Gaara…" he said, rising to his feet to leave.

"…You need to work out where your loyalty lies… with Naoko, or with Setsuko. Because you can't have it both ways. Is your world worth giving up just because some chick decides it's convenient to reappear after 17 years? Maybe you need to let the past be the past…" he concluded, walking away in the direction of his home.

"And now, I get my ass kicked" he called, sending a limp wave in Gaara's direction before disappearing around the corner.

No sooner had Shikamaru departed when Gaara suddenly heard the clicking of high heels approaching from behind him.

"Gaara? What are you doing out here so late?"

It was Setsuko, right on cue. She sat closely beside him on the steps, openly admiring his exotic good looks and awaiting his reply. Gaara remained facing forwards. His lungs were choked by her heavy perfume.

"I was just about to go home. And you?" he said flatly.

"I came out for some air. How delightful that you happened to be out here too. We must stop running into each other like this!" she joked.

"Hn" Gaara replied.

Setsuko raised an eyebrow. "You seem drained. Talk to me" she insisted, her soft hands gently cupping his face to look at her. Gaara was met by the sight of the beautiful woman, her heavily made-up eyes and the bust that was unashamedly boasted by a low cut camisole. He noticed the hardened bumps at the front of her top.

"You must be cold" Gaara stated.

"I am. We could always go back to my apartment, where it's warm… I'm sure I can help you relax…" she flirted. Her voice was softer. Quiet and breathy, in the way that lovers talk after they've consummated their love. Gaara knew what she was implying.

"Setsuko…" Gaara began reluctantly.

"Gaara, you know this feels right" she interrupted. "Why do you think you and Naoko aren't working out? It's because you and her were never meant to be…" She moved closer to him, slyly pressing her breasts against him. Gaara could feel the hardened nipples rub against the flesh of his upper arm. He twitched slightly.

"…But you and I, Gaara… you and I were meant to be" she continued, her voice a sensual whisper in his ear. "We always were, right from the start. You know that. You can't deny it. We're… the same _breed_, Gaara." Her fingers began to spider-walk up his thigh. Gaara was tense and perfectly still. She was offering herself to him, and his energy was so drained he wasn't sure if his resistance would be strong enough. Sure, a fuck would probably clear his mind right now. Everything was so hopeless, what did he have to lose?

"Naoko was simply the first girl to show you attention. You were young and naïve and you must have been swept away by all those new feelings. It was an easy mistake to make. But Naoko is a mere peasant girl. How could she possibly understand your needs?" she lingered on the last word, forming a snake-like hiss. "She could never satisfy you the way I can" she whispered, her breath hot against his ear.

Her insults directed at Naoko triggered an impulse in Gaara. He suddenly grabbed her exploring hand, a swift and decisive action that shocked both of them. His grip was tight and uncompromising, a warning of sorts. No doubt he was hurting her.

"Naoko didn't attack you, did she?" he asked in a low growl.

Setsuko squirmed, trying to free her hand from his iron grasp. Her face contorted in discomfort.

"Gaara, what do you mean?"

He looked her straight in the eye, his gaze piercing.

"All the things you said about her hurling abuse at you… it was a lie, wasn't it?" his voice was eerily calm, a low and dangerous snarl.

She finally snatched her arm away from his grip, looking at him with hurt and feigned innocence.

"What on earth makes you think I would lie to you, Gaara?" she gasped, her eyes wide.

Gaara's mind chastised himself brutally. How had he been such a fool? To believe someone he no longer knew rather than the wife who never lied to him. Sense suddenly hit him hard, and the realisation stung. He remembered the first time he met Naoko. She had been the only one to shatter his defences and enter his heart. The only one able to make him feel that way. He remembered the first night they made love, the way she had caused him a jolt of feeling from an inside deeper than he knew he had. Spasms of a deep, sweet hurt reminded him why he had fallen so in love with her. Everything else paled in comparison to Naoko. Setsuko was a poor substitute.

Gaara had allowed Naoko into his heart, and he was determined that she would not leave it. Without a word, and having seemingly forgotten Setsuko's presence, he stood abruptly and began walking home to set right what he had almost thrown away. To reclaim what was his.

Setsuko quickly rose to her feet and called after him desperately, her practised elegance now tainted with indignant arrogance.

"But Gaara! You can have _me_. Just say the word!" she shouted, but he was already rounding the corner out of her sight.

"Goodbye, Setsuko" he answered.

*****************************

Naoko gazed out of the bedroom window. It was late, and Gaara still hadn't come home. All the possibilities raced through her mind. Could he be with Setsuko? Naoko remained still and expressionless as she thought this. Not because it didn't bother her, but rather because she had already cried so much that she had nothing left within her. All that she could do was stare at the moon, silent and pensive. If Gaara was spending the night with Setsuko, there was nothing Naoko could do about it. She sighed sadly.

What she didn't know was that, at that exact moment, Gaara was watching her. He stood in the doorway. Her back was towards him as she gazed out at the deep night sky. Gaara smiled slightly, enjoying the fact that she had no idea of his presence. Watching her like this, in all her cluelessness and vulnerability, he felt closer to her than he had felt in days. There was an intimacy in sharing this moment with her, without her knowing. In the dark room, the moonlight ghosted over her body, adding an ethereal glow to her skin. Her jet-black hair flowed delicately over her small shoulders, the hue of night giving it an almost blue tone. Her face was tilted up slightly as her empty eyes sought the sky. So still and quiet, it seemed to Gaara that her dreamlike elfin beauty was an illusion that was too pure to be real, and she would disappear if he entered her realm.

Naoko remained oblivious to the fact that there was someone behind her. She absentmindedly curled a lock of hair around her finger and continued staring at the outside world, watching silhouettes that might have been there or might not. It was hard to tell in such darkness. If she stared hard enough, everything melded into one pitch-black void, losing all definition.

The sudden sound of the bedroom door slamming shut caused her to jolt with shock. Her heart jumped to her throat. She spun around, and her eyes locked with Gaara's. Instantly she altered her innocent, frightened expression to one of narrow eyed hostility, although she had to admit she was relieved that it was him. Assuming her combat mode, she spoke.

"What have you been doing this late, _Kazekage-sama_?" she spat impersonally.

"Working" he replied in a monotone.

"Huh… funny, I thought her name was Setsuko" came her indifferent response, tinged with bleak sarcasm as she continued to scowl at him. He almost smiled at how much she looked like Kizuki when he was sulking, but thought better of making fun of her when she was angry. None of these thoughts showed in his expression, and Naoko continued to await his reply.

"I love you" he said simply.

Naoko faltered. That had caught her completely off-guard. Her mouth opened slightly in surprise. She scanned his face as if to test his honesty. Frustrated by his unreadable, controlled expression, she retaliated.

"What game are you playing here, Gaara?"

Much to her annoyance, at that moment the barriers came down and her heart wrenched in her chest. She held back tears.

"This is cruel. You're breaking my heart…" she said softly.

A silence settled upon them both, during which Naoko bit harshly into her bottom lip to distract her from crying. Gaara suddenly realised the pain he was inflicting on her, and he hated himself for it, wanting only to hold her and make the pain go away, although he was secretly relieved that she was hurting: it meant that she still cared. Naoko watched her husband, and he watched her. They both waited to see who would make the next move.

Gaara finally turned away, lowering his gourd to the floor. Naoko watched him, examining every move he made, trying to read his intentions. She noted how his shoulders moved as the weight was removed from them, the way his fringe fell over his forehead as he bent down to rest the gourd on the ground, obscuring his eyes and the 'Ai' kanji. He straightened up again and cast a casual glance at Naoko before removing his shirt and tossing it into the laundry basket in the corner of the room. Despite the upset Naoko felt, her eyes roamed of their own accord, settling on Gaara's pale exposed torso. She watched his strong, muscular back as he walked over to a chair and sat down, proceeding to untie his boots. He halted when he concluded that Naoko wasn't going to stop staring.

"What?" he asked.

Naoko was slightly confused. He seemed to have forgotten that only moments ago they were involved in a deep discussion. Now he was acting as if nothing had happened.

"What are you doing?" she asked, puzzled.

"I plan on sleeping" he answered nonchalantly.

He stood up and unfastened his belt, starting to slide it out from around his hips, but stopped, as if he'd just remembered something. He recalled Shikamaru's advice.

"I've… really missed you these last few days. It's made me realise how much I need you"

Naoko stood firm, her expression remained defiant. Of course it was always a fight with Naoko. That was one of the reasons why he loved her so. But Gaara wouldn't be beaten. He let out a strained sigh.

"Please Naoko, can we stop this? Every day I'm alive is worth it because you're here. You're the only one I could ever love. Don't push me away. My life won't be worth living if you're not in it."

Naoko's face softened at his direct and honest words. He didn't often speak so candidly about his feelings. Her heart jolted at the words she had been longing to hear fall from his lips. Guilt overtook her.

"…I'm…I'm sorry…" she said quietly.

"For what?" asked Gaara.

She let out a laboured sigh.

"I guess I've been… irrational. And awkward. When instead, I should have been there for you. You're so busy and stressed. A wife should support her husband, not burden him." Her brow furrowed. "I know I'm a lousy wife. The Council members hate me. Everyone knows it. I'm sorry. I try to be a good wife, I really do… but… I guess I was scared that you'd realise they were right about me all along, and that you were more suited to Setsuko." She stopped, suddenly aware that Gaara was leaning with his back to the wall, with a roguish smile on his face.

Did he find her feelings amusing, she wondered? Somewhere in between trying to decide whether to be angry or upset, she couldn't help being distracted by the way he was looking at her. His aqua eyes glittered with something she recognised instantly. She took in the sight of him, his arms folded casually across his bare chest, his unbuttoned trousers. She felt herself heat up from his cool gaze that bore obvious intent.

Gaara watched the woman he was in love with. He was perplexed at how someone with such fiery, sylph-like exquisiteness could be jealous of Setsuko. The two women were entirely different. Setsuko was polished and decorated, Naoko untamed and captivating. To compare the two would be like trying to compare a thoroughbred show pony to a goddess.

"Is that really what you thought?" he ground out in reply, his smirk widening slightly.

His sultry voice made her shiver, coupled with his devastatingly good looks. Lust began to take over Naoko. The sort of lust that pooled hotly in her abdomen, causing her knees to go weak, until she could barely stand straight. The sort of lust that tore everything down.

"… I…"

Her whispered attempt at speech failed when Gaara walked towards her. He took her in his arms. In her present clouded state of mind all she could do was cling to him as he lowered his head to her shoulder, pulling down the strap of her top so he could kiss there. His mouth cleverly worked its way up her neck.

"You're a fool, Naoko…" he whispered against her skin, making her shiver. "… Such a fool…"

Naoko stopped herself before she could allow a gasp to escape her. She had not forgiven him yet and her pride was such that she would rather die than allow him this satisfaction. Her hands pressed against his chest as she tried to push him away.

"W-what makes you think you can have your way with me after what you've done?" she said, trying to sound fierce but failing.

His lips parted and his teeth nipped her earlobe, taking Naoko's breath away. With every feather-light, teasing kiss, her breathing got faster, and every nerve in her body started to wake up until her senses were fully heightened, awaiting the next sensation.

In one swift movement he pinned her against the wall, quicker than she could ascertain what was happening. There was a dull thud as Naoko's body slammed against the cold hard surface, and a split second later Gaara was pressed up against her. Naoko knew he had the physical advantage. He pinned both of her wrists up over her head with one hand. With his weight pressed against her she couldn't move, but she squirmed and struggled anyway, causing an erotic friction against him. He smiled at her feeble attempt to break free. Naoko's heart raced as Gaara's knee nudged her legs apart. He slipped his free hand into her pants and beneath the silken material of her underwear. The first touch of his deft fingers probing her womanhood caused her to throb with need and she gasped, moving her hips forward to allow him better access. He dipped one finger inside her lightly before removing it and bringing it in front of his face. He examined it, noting that it was soaked with slick wetness.

"It seems apparent that you want this, so stop acting like you don't" he mumbled lowly, still examining his sticky fingers, bringing them to his lips so he could taste her on them.

"And what about the kids? They'll hear" she snapped.

"Not if you shut up" he growled, finally losing his patience and disrobing her roughly. Every item of clothing that he ripped from her body was tossed somewhere in the dark room until Gaara was finally satisfied that he had his woman naked. He tightened his arms around her, taking in the familiar jasmine scent of her hair and the feel of the woman he'd missed so much lately. He held her then, his hands travelling softly along her body. His fingers played on her full hips, before skimming up her sides, adoring the supple skin beneath his hands. He jiggled one of her nipples with his thumb, and she moaned his name, the way she always did when he touched her like that. He kissed her deeply. It was a slow, sensual kiss that spoke volumes without a single word needing to be uttered. He smiled a little. Her soft, hot mouth tasted like sweet tea. Naoko's hands held him gently, her fingertips absentmindedly playing with the fine hair at the nape of his neck. She lifted up one leg and wrapped it around him to bring him closer, if that was possible.

"You're… such a bastard…" she gasped between kisses.

"Do you have to ruin the moment?" he jested darkly, before grabbing her by the waist and forcing her down on the bed.

Gaara knelt over her and gently pressed her thighs apart. Naoko saw that he was now naked. Slowly, and without breaking eye contact, he settled between her legs and moved his hips forward. His large, hot erection slid against her moistness. Naoko's back arched as a hiss escaped her lips. Gaara took his erection in his hand and proceeded to firmly rub the tip against Naoko's sensitive core. Almost crying out, Naoko grabbed Gaara tightly, muffling her cry by biting into his neck, causing him to release a low growl in the back of his throat. Her fingernails gripped his back desperately and he continued to rock against her, grinding their bodies together. He wanted to pound into her, but instead he maintained his slow, steady speed, loving the way it tortured Naoko to the edge of her sanity.

"Mmmm… Gaara… Gaara, please…" she begged, only just managing to keep her whining to a safe volume.

After hearing her like that, the way she was begging him to fuck her, it took everything Gaara had to resist. His manhood was already oozing masses of sticky pre-cum, and he fought to keep control. It was worth it to see Naoko this way. He took in the sight of her; ebony hair in disarray, a light flush covering her hot skin. He continued to grind, teasing her, and himself, mercilessly. Eventually he halted his movement. He clamped his hand firmly over her mouth, silencing her pleas.

"Not another word" he ordered in a husky growl.

He released his hand from her mouth, and Naoko felt him slide inside her slowly, until he was as deep within her as he could go. He claimed her lips in a kiss, his hips and tongue moving to the same slow-burning passionate rhythm. Naoko panted, twisting her hips beneath him. She lost the power to think. Her ears were filled with the sound of her own heart. In an effort to increase the pace, she planted her feet on the bed and used the leverage to thrust towards him. Gaara stifled a moan into a shaky gasp, and responded with a sharp thrust of his own. The intensity heightened until they were making violent love on just the right side of pain. Naoko squirmed and writhed enough to make the bed shake.

A sheen of sweat had settled over Gaara's body as he sensed Naoko's climax approaching. Sure enough, her eyelids fluttered as her body contracted around him, squeezing his own orgasm from him. They both locked lips in a desperate effort to stay silent. The only indication of their quiet passion was their heightened breaths. Naoko's pert breasts bounced with Gaara's forceful final thrusts as he groaned and squirted his essence within her. He held her tenderly as he worked the last of his orgasm, trying to make it last as long as possible, finally spending everything he had to offer.

He carefully pulled out and settled beside her, pulling her close to him. He heard a little giggle from the woman in his arms and he peeped at her from behind blackened lids. A small smile caressed his lips. Everything was ok. She still wanted him and he still had her. Things were back to normal.

"I love you Naoko" he said quietly.

"I know" she replied softly in her post-coital state. "Don't let anything come between us again" she whispered, stroking his hairline gently.

Gaara tensed in the darkness. How was he going to tell her about the mission? How would she react? He had a funny feeling that this current peace wouldn't last for long…

Reluctantly, he began to explain that he was about to leave his family to risk his life against who knows what kinds of mutant powers and deadly experimentations. There was a silence… and then…

"YOU FUCKING WHAT?!?!"

Title Translation:

Fuufu Genka wa inu mo Kuwanu – One should not interfere in lovers' quarrels.

A/N: Next time: Oooooh exciting stuff, and enter Naruto! You'll just have to wait and see what kind of crazy things ensue! If you spot any mistakes or typos, please let me know, lol. Thanks a lot to everyone who reviews, you're the ones who keep the story going!


	10. AN

Hey, Dag here.

Just letting you know that I'm going through a dry spell at the moment. Basically, I'm a little disillusioned and I'm beginning to question my writing. The lack of reviews doesn't help lol. Don't worry, 'Shiraha' will get finished, but it may take a little longer than I anticipated.

I've started another fanfiction, entitled 'Saviours Have No Names'. It's a fiction based on 'Sword of the Stranger' – the best anime movie I've seen in ages. I got all inspired. Check out the movie online and then feel free to check out my story :D Just go to my profile and it's there.

Let me know what you think of it. Thanks guys.

Dag.

x


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